GOV ENO TASKS NIGERIANS ON CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY, IDENTIFIES PILLARS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE

GOV ENO TASKS NIGERIANS ON CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY, IDENTIFIES PILLARS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE

… says citizens should hold leaders accountable

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has called on Nigerians to be more committed to their civic responsibilities, vote peacefully during elections and hold their leaders accountable by lawful means.

In his keynote lecture at the Yoruba Tennis Club, Lagos, Centenary celebration, on the theme, “Democracy and the Imperative of Good Governance: Renewing Hope in Challenging Times,” he noted that the worth of a democracy is measured not by the fact of its elections, but by the quality of governance produced by them.

The Governor identified some pillars of good governance to include participation, accountability, transparency, the rule of law, responsiveness, equity, and inclusiveness.

Making reference to his administration in Akwa Ibom State, he said continuity remains a major pillar of good governance, citing his resolution to complete all life – touching projects inherited from previous administrations, regardless of which government began it as a case in point.

He noted that his administration’s development blueprint, the ARISE Agenda prioritizes the welfare of citizens with particular attention to the less privileged.

“We inherited a backlog of gratuities dating back to 2012: ₦111 billion owed to men and women who had already given the State their working lives. We have paid more than ₦88 billion of it, and we intend to clear the balance before this term ends.

“We have built over 461 compassionate homes, every one of them solar-powered, and handed them to the neediest households across our 369 wards, each with ₦500,000 in living support. Food vouchers drawn from our Social Register are going out even as I speak,” he said.

He added that his administration has given business grants to farmers, market women, artisans and young entrepreneurs, and have placed ₦2 billion with the Bank of Industry so that small businesses can borrow at single-digit rates instead of being bled by interest.

The Governor further noted that over 3,000 young people have been trained at the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre, and each one leaves with between ₦500,000 and ₦1 million in seed capital.

He also said his administration has “paid nearly ₦7 billion in WASSCE fees for our students since May 2023, and we have raised bursaries for those in our tertiary institutions to ₦1,695,970,000.

“We are investing heavily in our youth because no democracy can endure without sustained investment in the next generation. Young people must not only inherit democracy but also be equipped to strengthen and advance it. Our administration is building fully equipped Youth.

“We have also written the Human Capital Development Framework, HCD 2.0, which was launched in Uyo last year by the Vice President, Distinguished Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, directly into the ARISE Agenda. We did so deliberately, because human capital is not a side programme of development. It is the substance of it,” he added.

On infrastructure, the Governor said 1,346 kilometres of economically viable roads and 41 bridges have been constructed in three years, and that under the one Project Per Local Government policy, all the 31 Local Government Areas in the State have benefited from a completed road, model primary school, or a model health center.

He commended successive leaders in the State for their contributions to State development, stressing that the commitment to continuity has enhanced the status of development in the State.

In the area of participation, he said his administration had since inception, created a platform, the monthly delivery meetings, where stakeholders including journalists and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), are invited to look at projects, their levels of implementation and cost.

He said that though the economic reforms in the country have negatively impacted on the masses, President Bola Tinubu must be commended for daring to reposition the country, adding that “fiscal discipline has been restored, exchange rate has stopped shifting under our feet. Tax reform is under way. And the fuel subsidy that was quietly swallowing money belonging to our schools, our hospitals and our roads is gone, and that money is now being spent on Nigerians rather than on a distortion.”

The Governor paid tribute to the founding fathers of the Yoruba Tennis Club, for their deliberate decision to keep its doors of membership open to Nigerian who can keep its creed of honesty, integrity and industry.

He also appreciated the leadership for inviting him for the keynote lecture, and congratulated the club on its centenary celebration.

In his remark, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, appreciated Governor Eno for honouring the club’s invitation and for his intensive presentation; and also commended the Governor for his development strides which, according to him, has distinguished Akwa Ibom in the commity of states.

He said the Yoruba Tennis Club remains the oldest indigenous social and sports club in Nigeria, and congratulated it on the centenary celebration, which, he said, is not just a measure of time but a testament of trust.

On his part, the Chairman of the club, Chief Olawumi Gasper said the invitation of Governor Eno as the keynote speaker was premised on his impactful leadership, highlighting some of the strides to include the successful reclamation of a life-threatening gully erosion site and transforming same to a world class tourism facility, the construction of over 1300 km of roads and 41 bridges and other projects, all done without borrowing a dime.

At the event were the Deputy Governors of Akwa Ibom and Lagos States, Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Udeme Ottong, immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, former Petroleum Minister, Atuekong Don Etiebet, Barr Paul Usoro, SAN, Secretary to the State Government Prince Enobong Uwah, Executive Assistant/Chief Delivery Advisor, Mr Aniefiok Johnson, other members of the State Assembly, members of the State Executive Council, local government council Chairmen led by the State Chairman of ALGON, Dr. Uwemedimo Udo, and other stakeholders including State Chairman of the APC, Obong Stephen Ntukekpo, Senator Effiong Bob, Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, Senator Aloysius Etok, Emmanuel Enoidem SAN, Sir Monday Uko, and others.

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