After the Reggae, we can now play the Blues. This vibe was awesome to many lovers of music, not too long ago. Paraphrasing it, we can say that after the recent political and election vibes, it is now time for Nigeria and Nigerians to settle down for the business of navigating the country’s destiny on the right part. It is time to ask from the captain of the ship and his team that all we are saying is ‘give us good governance’. That is the process by which institutions manage the resources of the States to meet the needs of the people.
If this is all what Nigerians want from the new government, then we can applaud them for having a dream and belief in the Renewed Hope because good governance is the kernel for accountability, the rule of law, transparency, inclusiveness, efficiency and effective justice system. We must not forget human dignity’
The philosophy of good governance began during the renaissance era which transformed European society to the evil of the world. According to the World Bank, good governance entails the manner in which power is exercised in the management of the resources of a nation for the benefit of its citizens.
Whichever way we may interpret the concept of good governance, it means, great nations around the world that have attained several accomplishments achieved their present status as a result of how they applied the concept of good governance to revolutionize their societies by applying all the factors.
Nigerians, therefore, have continued to be at the forefront of the campaign for good governance especially now that we have a president who was formerly at the trenches against the military dictatorship and fought the military to a standstill so that we may have this democracy. A man whose signature is driven by the rule of law philosophy, respect for human dignity, accountability, transparency, inclusivity, equality and other social justice system that can protect the rights of citizens. The need to reawaken the social consciousness of President Bola Tinubu to adopt good governance as a social barometer to serve as catalyst for nation building and economic growth has become inevitable.
In the past, our society has refused to embrace the minimum template of good governance mechanism and we are all witnesses to the fact that the country becomes the proverbial barber’s chair that rotates on one spot. Our institutions have been under siege and bondage of the cabal or better still, the mafia –the mafia in the Executive, mafia in the Judiciary, mafia in the Legislature. Over the years our society have been governed by the’ rule by man and flagrant abuse of the law. Our society is run by ‘order from above ‘ system rather than the rule of engagement according to the law. No equity, no justice, no fair play in conducting or managing our affairs or distributing the resources of the country.
In fact ,certain ethnic groups are seen as’ first class or born to rule and are entitled to choice opportunities in any government institutions or establishments while others are classified as second class citizens and are barred from competing or competing at their peril.
In Nigeria, some government institutions and corporations are run on the basis of corruption, flagrant disobedience of the rule of law, lack of respect for human dignity, intimidation, social stratification system, criminal enterprise system and several other anti-social behaviours that impede growth.
The clear domination of our institutions and agencies by a particular ethnic group sends wrong signal of inferiority and second class citizenship complex to other ethnic groups. This promotes animosity and set the stage for social conflicts amongst the ethnic groups that should naturally cohabit peacefully to conduct social and economic activities for the development of the country. It’s a known fact that any society that is deficient in ensuring justice, equity and fairplay in conducting its activities among the citizens, is automatically setting the stage for avoidable social conflicts.
Never in the chequered history of Nigeria has there come a time like this and the need to build a new nation by purging some civil servants and public officials of open display of social malady, social stratification ,corruption and impunity..
Rather than see public offices as outlets to dispense services and dividends of democracy to the citizens, majority of government officials see it as opportunities to intimidate and unleash terror on their citizens while others see this window as opportunity for privatization of public institutions for personal enrichment. This is certainly antithetical to the philosophy of good governance and can’t facilitate the creation of a new nation or stimulate our economy for growth.
It’s therefore my candid view that if we must drive our society like any civilised nation around the world, the need for the rule of law, respect for human dignity, social inclusion, equitable distributions of resources available, complete abrogation of unwritten ‘order from above’ syndrome, corruption, abrogation of all tendencies that promote intimidation and injustice in our society, including reduction of over bloated bureaucracy must be priority.
While President Tinubu should be applauded in his efforts to sanitize the systems, the philosophy of blocking wastage by blocking financial leakages in the system should include sanitation of the duplication of Agencies as captured in the Oronsaye reports.
This is also the time to reassure Nigerians, both young and old, that Nigeria belongs to all of us and all citizens are equal. This is also an ample opportunity to invoke good governance template for prosperity. Those who parade themselves as owners of Nigeria and first class citizens should face the consequences of their actions.
In addressing these myriad of problems and build a new nation where peace and justice reign, we should adhere to the concept of good governance which advanced nations around the world have adopted to transform their societies. I am convinced that if we apply the same concept to run our society rather than the opposite, we are going to experience peace and exponential growth of our country. Good governance concept should be adopted across board which means it should be applied at the Local level, State level and ultimately the federal level.
There is also the urgent need to address the lopsidedness in recruitments of staff into public institutions and agencies. There must be a halt to creation of multiple agencies with overlapping activities.
Looking around the world, we can come to the conclusion that most nations that are flourishing are those that have long adopted the culture of good governance to drive their societies. These are the ground norms and pillars upon which any society and political authority can exercise its power.
Our problem is not lack of laws in our country but those who are in charge of our institutions and agencies who use their positions to undermine the laws of the land.
. Otunba Sola Olatunji, Chairman Ikale Heritage Development Association, writes from Lagos
