It has been argued that democratic governance is well in Nigeria because it grants the populace the opportunity to question government decisions through public opinion expressed in the media or through their elected representatives (Babawale, 2006; Mimiko, 2007).
2. One significant goal of most countries of the world in contemporary societies is how to promote good governance that will direct to national development among others, and Nigeria is not an exception (Mimiko, 2007; Bertot et al, 2010; De Vries, 2013; Kevreaksmey et al, 2015).
3. Past governments in Nigeria, military and civilian inclusive, have alienated the people from governmental affairs by not involving them in the policy-forming process (Ikelegbe, 2006; Mimiko, 2007; Izibili
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In this regard, Silcock (2001:88) points out that “e-government is the use of technology to enhance the access to and delivery of government services to benefit citizens, business partners and employees.” While Adeyemo (2011:11) sees egovernment as a platform through which “citizens get connected to the government more easily using electronic means of communication.” According to the UN (2014:2), e-government is “the use of Information and Communication Technologies and its application by the government for the provision of information and public services to the people.” Furthermore, Ali and Mujahid (2015:3) argue that “e-government is about the process for decision-making and implementing through modern technology.” They argue that the primary purpose of e-government is to enable the citizens have access to information about what government is doing or not …show more content…
This is because “democratic governance is premised on the sanctity of norms and values that regulate the conduct of men” (Ajayi, 2006:55). In this regard, governance is therefore considered good when it is operated according to prescribed rules, principles, norms and values of a society (Ihionkhan and Okpamen, 2007). According to the UN (2007), “good governance promotes human rights in a number of ways. It encourages public participation in government, including in law-making and policymaking, and accountability of elected and appointed officials.” However, Obianyo (2008) observes that democratic governance as a precursor to good governance cannot be sustained in a society where people remain completely excluded in the decision-making process of the government. Therefore the participation of citizens in governmental affairs is a key to the realization of good governance in a country. Furthermore, research has shown that the platform and importance of e-government cannot be overemphasized to the realization, growth and development of good governance in societies (Kim et al, 2009; Amman et al, 2013; Ali and Mujahid, 2015). According to Kim et al (2009:42), “e-government is increasingly considered an important measure for enhancing citizen access to government services and
Sani Abacha, “the first Nigerian soldier to make full general without missing a single rank,” was the president of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998 (Sandbrook). Though he helped the country’s economy during his term, Abacha was not concerned by the people’s rights and opinion. Within a year of his presidency, Sani Abacha “issued a decree that placed his government above the jurisdiction of the courts, a move that gave him absolute power” (Sandbrook). Even though Abacha was already the most powerful force in Nigeria, he still grasped for more influence. The people were supportive of Abacha until he began his oppressive rule. The people knew Abacha was gaining power and spoke up, so Abacha stripped them of their rights. He was paranoid that the people would try to end his rule, so he did whatever was necessary to gain absolute power. The author highlights, “Abacha purged the military, banned political activity, and took control of the press” (Sandbrook). Abacha destroyed the possibility of the people rising against him because they didn’t have the resources to sufficiently rebel. He also describes Abacha’s rule as to have included, “appalling human rights abuses” in the overview of his time in power (Sandbrook). Not only did Sani Abacha take control of Nigeria’s government, but he also oppressed the people of Nigeria in order to maintain
There have been enormous efforts to spread democracy as a political system throughout the world by the developed democratic countries and the international development organizations including the World Bank. By the late 1990s the United States alone spent over a half billion dollars to promote democratic expansion throughout the world (Diamond, 2003). These were done considering that the democratic system leads towards development. As a result in the late 20th century we saw a huge political transformation towards democracy. During the last few decades a huge number of countries adopted democracy as their political system. However, it retain a big question how far democracy is successful in bringing development of a country? At this stage, some people also criticizes the effort of democratization arguing that it is done without considering the context of a country, sometimes democracy is not ideal for all countries and it is an effort to extinct diversity of political system. In studying the literature regarding the debate, we found a paradoxical relationship between democracy and development. Some argue that democracy has failed to ensure expected outcomes in terms of development. While others confronted that democracy has a considerable impact on development. Another group of people argue that form of political system actually does not have any impact on development process. On the verge of these debates, some development institutions and academics throw light on why democracy is not working properly, and what measure should be taken to make it more successful in bringing effective development of developing countries. Consequently, this writing is an effort of revisiting the different views about impact of democra...
Despite the numerous wealth generated on a daily basis from oil exportation over the years and the vast amount of untapped resources laying in commercial quantity, the country does not have a single or recognize means of directly addressing the welfare of its citizenry. Only the present democratic administration has promised to execute out a compulsory cash transfer of N5,000 to the poorest 25 million Nigeria (based on some conditions), pay graduating corp members some stipends for a year and design a one-meal a day for public primary school
In conclusion Nigeria has never been able to sustain a legitimate democracy. The legacies of British colonialism have created unstable political institutions that have been extremely susceptible to military coups. While ethnic tensions have lead to political party association and corruption, rent-seekers and continual economic decline have decreased support for the government. Although recently Nigeria has seen a shift away from military control as people have recognized its unsuccessfulness, questions still remain about the new democracy. Consider the last time this type of democracy was established, it only lasted four years. Given all these factors and the military history of OlusgunObasanjo, it is no wonder the new democracy is considered fragile.
According to Samuels in Case Studies in Comparative Politics, Nigeria began as a group of states and empires, which were conquered by the British Empire who ruled Nigeria through indirect rule with varying degrees of rule in North and South Nigeria (Samuels, 323-326). Since they were granted independence in 1960, three republics have been created and each has ended by military rule, which led to the creation of the fourth, and current republic in Nigeria. In the current regime Nigeria’s GDP is ranked 108 of 156 and has been decreasing, lower than some of the non oil-producing nations in Africa (“Nigeria”).
This essay is aimed to examine one of the agents of political socialisation for the way in which it operates and the effects it may have in Nigeria. Political socialisation is learning process that begins very early and continues all throughout ones life. Through political socialisation people acquire their perceptions and feelings about their political environment. It accounts for both the commonalties and diversities of political life. (DP Dawson p1).
In the end, what holds African countries such as Nigeria together is their shared pride. Modern, western influences can bring positive changes to society, but new cultures cannot completely eradicate the foundational cultures to which a society is founded on.
What is culture? Culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving
Charlick, R. (2000) "Popular participation and Local Government Reforms" Africa Notes, New York: Cornell University, (April) pp1-5
Nigeria, with its prodigous oil and natural gas reserves, has the potential to be one of the most affluent places on the planet, were it not for the rampant corruption that defines it. Instead, it is the 20th poorest country in the world1. Much like the guanxi of China, Nigeria practices prebendalism—the use of high-level positions to gain personal wealth. In other words, people exchange money for political favors, which of course creates a greedy and corrupt society. The extent of this fraudulency is such that most of Nigeria's oil wealth is sucked up by one per cent of the population, while more than 60% falls below the poverty line. In fact, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has determined that 92% of Nigeria lives on less than one dollar a day2. Meanwhile, it is estimated that in the past 50 years, three to four hundred billion dollars have been stolen by government officials.
As result of the disappointed output of governance for developing countries the success is dependent on circumstances of democratic maturity, sensitivity of patronage practice and weak state building capacity. Although the existence/availability of clear governance frameworks, structures, institutions and all stakeholders, “the provisions for obtainments of good governance perspectives are more than just theory.” .Different Stakeholders, Different Positions and this mean Different POWER.(Shyamika Jayasundara session 1:7 Governance as a structure)
In today’s world, democracy faces everyday challenges. These challenges affect each and every country. Each country has a particular way of encountering these challenges in order for the citizens to have some type of voice. The voice of the people makes a stronger impact on using democracy as a means to challenge the government of their country. As we take a look at the countries in the world today, we will see the path towards the challenges to democracy.
Nigeria was first colonized by the British in the late nineteenth century who, set up an administrative structure and law while still recognizing the traditional morals. By 1960, Nigeria became an independent country and officially became known as the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Nigeria is located in West Africa and consists of 36 states with over 500 different ethnic groups. The country recognizes itself as a federal constitutional republic and has an open to the public type government. Since it was originally established by Britain, the Nigerian legal system is very traceable to them and originated its laws from common law. This paper will examine the culture of Nigeria, the fundamentals of its’ legal system and how laws are passed, legal actors that are part of the Nigerian criminal justice system, and will compare Nigeria to America.
Since economic development and growth cannot be discussed in isolation of a referenced community, society or nation, efforts will be made in this lecture to relate essentially to the economic development parameters in the Nigerian
This chapter of the research is dedicated to presenting the review of the related literature, which will be helpful in establishing conceptual and theoretical-framework pertinent to the study. Thus, this portion of the research will bring out the meaning of good governance by summarizing what has been said by different scholars’, international organizations as well as aid agencies. The attributes/elements of good governance which were defined by UNDP and AfDB will be presented separately. In line with this, the major dimensions of good governance, elements of good urban governance with their detail will be summarized which will be helpful in analyzing good governance at local level.