12 Jun 2009 |
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The Foundations of Good Governance – With or Without the Seven-Point Agenda While answering questions during his screening at the Senate, the newly appointed CBN Governor, Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi suggested that the federal government might want to concentrate on a shorter list of very critical priority issues rather than the widely publicized seven-point agenda. That remark generated a barrage of responses from government spokespeople, political oppositions and ordinary Nigerians alike. While some like the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) commended Mr. Sanusi’s suggestion and reasoned that focusing on two or so key agenda areas might be more prudent and effective, others, including Mr. Segun Adeniyi, the president’s spokesman, think that it is better for the government to stick to the seven-point agenda. According to Mr. Adeniyi, the issues contained in the seven-point agenda are interrelated, and some could not be addressed without the others. Although Mr. Adeniyi and by extension Mr. President, did said that he did not see Mr. Sanusi’s suggestion as a criticism, but rather, as what it is - a suggestion, there are other political angers-on who would like to jump into the fray and pick fight with Mr. Sanusi or any persons that support a downward review of the items on the seven-point menu. While this writer thinks that having an agenda is better than not having an agenda, an agenda is only a wish list, a guide towards a desired outcome at best. What is most important in governance, whether it is in a public or corporate environment is not the length or beauty of one’s wish list, but what one does with the wish list. Anyone old enough to have lived under two or three administrations in Nigeria will know that the problem with Nigeria is not a lack of great ideas or wish lists, but the commitment and sincerity to produce meaningful outcomes. One of humanity’s greatest minds once said: "Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do." (Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519). Herein lays the purpose of this article. Rather than jump up and down and turn the subject of how long or how short the seven-point agenda should be into another national debate and a source of diversion, Nigerians should be concerned about the meaningful outcome the ‘agenda’ or ‘non-agenda’ of Mr. Yar’ Adua’s administration is able to deliver. In this regard, this writer intends to propose what he considers to be the critical foundations which must provide overarching guidance for the conception and implementation of any good governance initiative - be it, delivery of adequate and functional power system, good and serviceable infrastructure, affordable and result-oriented public education, health etc. Accountability The first of these three principles is accountability, an ethical concept that is central to proper conduct of affairs whether at individual or community levels. This principle which is central to order and organization in any social interaction is often expressed in various terms as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability etc. It beholds that each and every one of us is answerable to others for the collective responsibility that we assume or for our conducts insofar as those conducts affect others. In terms of governance and leadership, accountability is the acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for actions, products, decisions, and policies including the administration and implementation of same, together with the obligation to report, explain and be answerable for the outcomes and consequences. Although, politicians and policy practitioners bandy this word around all the time, it constitutes the very starting point in building any governance system that will lead to meaningful societal progress. As a principle of good governance, all ideas, initiatives, agendas, projects and programs of a government must pass the test of accountability – it presupposes that the idea or action is been undertaken on behalf of the society, and the society deserves to be properly briefed about what and how that action has been or will be discharged or not discharged. The aspect of ‘the how’ is even regarded to be more important than ‘the what’ in the sense that leaders are expected to be able to give account of how they have or will undertake the specific action including the costs and benefits of same to the society. Anyone familiar with the way things are done in the public domain in Nigeria will agree that we have a long way to go in terms of adherence to this principle. Transparency Transparency is another principle of good governance which essentially presupposes openness, communication, and accessibility in the conduct of the affairs of the collective. The principle implies that government programs and projects as well the general business of governance must be conducted and implemented with maximum openness and disclosure to all citizens either directly or through agencies established for that purpose. This principle which is closely linked with accountability expects that government business and programs will meet certain minimum procedures including competitive and open tender, merit-based assessment, financial disclosure statements, freedom and access to public information, budgetary review, audits, evaluation, etc. These procedures are meant to guide proper conduct, and to ensure fairness and adherence to best-value-possible for the society in the conception and implementation of public affairs. They also serve as a means of holding public officials accountable and to reduce the opportunity for public officials to abuse the system in their own interest. With respect to Nigeria, this will translate to ensuring that all government programs and projects are undertaken in such a manner that ‘justice is not only served, but justice is seen to have been served’. Politicians and social commentators alike routinely attribute the problem of Nigeria to corruption. The genesis of corruption is the operation of a governance model that lacks transparency and a sense of being accountable to the collective. That all efforts to get the federal legislators to pass the Freedom of Information Bill over these several years has yielded no result underlines the propensity of our political leaders to subvert public scrutiny or oversight. Effectiveness The last of these three principles is effectiveness or what can be called outcome. Good ideas and good policies on paper do not mean anything if they do not by themselves translate to or are not implemented to produce tangible and meaningful outcomes. This writer often argues that good governance is not rocket science. You don’t need a degree is nuclear physics or something like that to know that if you merely dream beautiful ideas without applying the resources and energy to produce, it will only remain what it is, a dream. This principle appears to be one of the areas where successive Nigerian governments have had abundant deficit. Many administrations either don’t set out to achieve any outcome ab initio, or they derail mid-way, or indeed deliver the opposite of what they set out to achieve. The Nigerian graveyard is littered with so many unrealized and abandoned projects, while the misery and fate of an average Nigerian is worsening by the day, yet we are busy dreaming up new ones. The Way to Good Governance All societies which have made significant progress in human history have adhered in one form or the other to these key principles of good governance and commitment to common good. If as a nation we intend to join the ranks of nations who have applied their God-given human and natural resources to transform their societies and create systems that cater for the strong and the weak among their peoples, we must wake up to move beyond the rhetoric of ‘this agenda is long or that one is short’, or constantly trying to reinvent the wheel. We must begin to manage our affairs with abiding commitment to what is good for the society and making the trio of: accountability, transparency and effectiveness the foundations of all our policies and programs. The present administration still has the opportunity to set the ball rolling by incorporating these principles into the governance process and ensuring that, whether it is power projects, road building or delivery of health facilities, every role player is committed to getting the best-value-possible for the society in the most efficient manner, and delivering the best-possible outcome. Recent global and local developments should confirm to anyone in doubt that it only takes one good leader to change the spirit of a nation (Obama, Fashola etc.). Beyond politicking and media hype, if the administration of President Yar' Adua shows meaningful leadership and sincere commitment to good governance today, by addressing and finding solutions to those critical governance problems that plague ordinary Nigerians, he will find that the people and indeed, history will reciprocate in kind. Aliyu Ahmed-Hameed PhD A public policy and development practitioner writes from Edmonton, Canada
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