On good governance and accountability: Recipes for rescuing Nigeria (II)
“But an active despair has often triumphed over the assurance of indolent success”, Edward Gibbon The sense of active despair is the only resort that Nigerians are left with, to exhibit their repudiation of their state of anonymity and conditions of restless search for solutions to their pathetic and abject nothingness. Having been reduced […]
“But an active despair has often triumphed over the assurance of indolent success”, Edward Gibbon
The sense of active despair is the only resort that Nigerians are left with, to exhibit their repudiation of their state of anonymity and conditions of restless search for solutions to their pathetic and abject nothingness. Having been reduced to the state of a herd owned by the masters of the country, the only course left for Nigerians is to cultivate the awareness that there are options available to them to bring about a change in their fortunes and conditions of debasement by successive regimes of uncoordinated and unresponsive governments.
According to globally established standards of effective governance, the ability to respond to emergencies and crisis at speed and scale is a critical measurement of the success of a country’s establishment. How ours is faring in the face of myriads of challenges is an open testament to what is generally lacking in our system. Good and accountable governance also entails the setting of clear goals and targets for the development of human and natural resources of the country as indicated by global best practices. This requires that there should be in place systems and processes towards securing the country and all its people and resources from unwarranted exploitation and overbearing influences of negative types.
In other properly functioning countries, where the citizens are accorded respect and treated not as herds but as the vital essences of the state and government, decency in governance, respect for authority and sensitivity to the people’s needs have been enthroned as the purposes of the government. In such cases, the rights of the people are paramount in any action of the government and the exercise of authority by politicians and civil servants servicing the country. The judicious and transparent allocation of resources towards promoting the welfare of the citizens is a primary responsibility of any self-respecting government.
This should ultimately entail that the business of government is always conducted transparently, objectively, efficiently and prudently without the enthronement of self-interest as the purpose of being in power. While it is reported that billions, if not trillions, of Naira have been spent on social protection and welfare measures over the lifespans of several administrations, the evidence of the transparency of such programmes and their impacts are not readily apparent.
In situations where the conduct of basic activities of government such as budgeting and expenditure, construction of infrastructure, the disbursement of monetary support to citizens and other vital undertakings are often opaque, unfiltered and generally unknown to the citizens, then the credibility of the system is put into question and the interests and enthusiasm of the public are vitiated. Whenever citizens insist that their governments and officials should conduct themselves in agreeable fashion and in consonance with best practices everywhere, they are simply asking for the barest minimum of behaviour expected of office holders everywhere.
It is, therefore not charity or a favour but a duty for elected and appointed officials of government to conduct themselves in accordance with the demands and expectations of the citizens of the country. To what extent have successive governments taken citizens into their confidence or respected their opinions in matters to do with the running of the country, is subject to debate in Nigeria. The general perception that our elected representatives and appointed government officials are there to cater for our needs and interests have failed the test of time and practice, going by the way country has been left adrift for so long.
The inability to check corruption and maladministration over several decades is an indictment of our system and the capacity of our governments to address such existential problems facing our country. Hardly a day passes by without one report or the other surfacing about incidents of corruption afflicting the government but hardly are Nigerians assured of the prompt reaction of the government to deal with such reports. Therefore, representing and supporting the overall interests and outlooks of Nigerians apparently are not among the important preoccupations of our governments or of our elected officials.
Democracy is not a performance of smokes and mirrors, whereby the electorate is deceived into believing that all is well in the country and the interests of the people are well taken care of. Democracy is much more than the superficial attachment of ideals and slogans or the regurgitating of empty promises. Democracy is a commitment solemnly entered into between the governed and those in government, and the discharge of high responsibilities of state and administration based on approved good sense and judgement of both the people and those in power.
Where such ideals are not obtainable or the trust that binds the people and their government is broken by abuses and willful negligence of duties by elected or appointed officials, then the people should be allowed to exercise their rights and prerogative to bring about an alteration in the way they are led. This is the only way we can overcome the apathy of indolent success and unmerited disappointment that seem to have become the lot of Nigerians and the mean inheritance of our country.