EXCERPT: Umo Eno says democracy must improve citizens’ daily lives through quality governance, healthcare, education, infrastructure and economic opportunities beyond elections.
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has declared that democracy should be measured by the quality of governance and the tangible benefits it delivers to citizens rather than by the conduct of elections alone.
Speaking at the third Centenary Lecture of the Yoruba Tennis Club, Lagos, themed: ‘Democracy and the Imperative of Good Governance: Renewing Hope in Challenging Times’, Eno explained that democracy only retains its legitimacy when it improves the daily lives of the people through quality healthcare, education, infrastructure, food security and other essential public services.
“Our task, therefore, is not merely to preserve democracy. It is to make democracy mean something,” the governor said.
He argued that citizens experience democracy beyond election day, stressing that governance must translate into improved living conditions.
“A citizen does not experience democracy on election day alone. He experiences it at the hospital gate, in his child’s classroom, on the road to his farm, and in the price of what he eats. A democracy that never reaches those places loses its moral authority long before it loses an election,” he stated.
According to him, good governance remains the bridge between democratic promises and their fulfilment.
“Elections confer legitimacy; governance justifies it,” Eno added.
The governor also emphasised the need for transparency and accountability in governance, warning that opaque budgeting and procurement systems create fertile ground for corruption.
Funmi Ogundare
