By Asuquo Cletus
The Director-General of Good Governance and Advocacy International, Leonard Anyogo, has called for a national policy reorientation that shifts Nigeria’s political focus from electoral competition to genuine governance and people-centred development.
Anyogo made the call in Calabar yesterday, during a one-day public lecture on People, Governance and Policy, held at the Channels View Hotel as part of activities marking his golden age celebration.
He lamented that governance in Nigeria has been overshadowed by politics, stressing that the vision behind Good Governance and Advocacy International is to create a platform where governance takes precedence over politics.
“In this clime, everything revolves around politics we talk about elections, campaigns, and positions, but rarely about governance,” he said. “Politics should be a vehicle; the destination must be good governance.”
The DG explained that the organization serves as a policy hub similar to Chatham House in the United Kingdom, designed to promote research, ethical leadership, and people-based policy engagement within the country.
“We must begin to draw government policies from the people. Communities have different needs while one may need roads, another may require water or healthcare. Governance without engagement is disconnected from reality,” Anyogo noted.
Speaking at the event, the Vice Chairman of the Cross River State Planning Commission, Dr. Bong Duke, said Cross River State has adopted a governance model that prioritizes human impact over physical structures.
“We no longer measure achievements by the kilometres of roads built but by the impact of those projects on our people,” Duke said. “Governance that doesn’t touch lives is useless.”
He added that every policy and sectoral plan in the state is designed to reflect people’s welfare, emphasizing the importance of feedback from the grassroots to guide government planning.
“We get feedback from wards to local governments and to the state level. That is how we design policies that truly benefit our citizens,” he said.
Duke also urged the Federal Government to relinquish control of federal roads to states for better accountability, arguing that the people using the roads are state residents who should hold their governors responsible for their condition.
“The federal government or federal politicians don’t use our roads. Our people do. Roads should be managed by states so citizens can hold their governors accountable,” he added.
The event, attended by policymakers, academics, and civic leaders, highlighted the need for collaborative governance and people-driven policy formulation as key drivers of sustainable national development.
