LEADERSHIP AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA: ISSUES AND PROSPECTS FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
This section review literatures on key concept of the study, this include development, leadership, National development, pre and post colonial development in Nigeria and development in Benue state.
2.0 DEVELOPMENT
Like most social concepts, the problematic of the development is evidently made manifest in the literature. The current pluralism in the development literature, as being dominated by different school of thought so, cited in Omotola (2004) attests to this. The concept is further made complex going by the fact that development is multidimensional suffice to say that the concept is often view from political, economic and social dimension.
Development is a process of societal advancement, where improvement in the well being of people are generated via strong partnerships between all sectors, cooperate bodies and other groups in the society.
Again, Gboyeba (2003), sees development as an idea that embodies all attempts to improve the conditions of human existence in all ramification. It helps improvement in material well being of all citizens, not the most powerful and rich alone, in a sustainable way such that today’s consumption does not imperil the future. It also demands that poverty and inequality of access to the good things of life be remove or drastically reduced. It seeks to improve personal physical security and livelihood andexpansion of life chances (Lawal and Oluwatoyin, 2011) .
According to Naomi (1995)she believes that development is usually taken to involve not only economic growth, but also some notion of equitable distribution, provision of healthcare, education, housing and other essential services all with a view to improving the individual and collective quality of life.
Developmentaccording to (Aluko 2010) as social, cultural, economic and political change when must infact be accompanied with the ability of the people to control their destiny, relate to the outside on equal basis with the capacity of the people to conquer and control their environment without resorting to external aid.
Development according to Rodney (1976) development is a phenomenon which is inherent in all societies. Development means growth or changes or planned change. Development means a process by which a type of social change introduced into a system in order to produce a better production method and improve social arrangement. It may involves a structural transformation of the economy society, polity and culture of a country.
Gbemga Lawal (2007) Buttress that, the level and rate of development in a given society is measure by political culture and leadership style (Anazado, et al., 2012).
Development in human society is not a one side process rather a multi-sided issues. It is an increased in skill and ability. However, sustainable development does not only involve capita; accumulation and economic growth only but the conditions in which people in a country have adequate food, job and income inequality. It is a process of bringing fundamental and sustainable changes in the society. (Anazodo et al., 2012).
Development encompasses growth and embraces the quality of life as a social justice, equality of opportunity for all citizens, equitable distribution of income and democratization of development process. It is the capacity of members of the society to actualize them by participating actively in the social engineering of their destiny. Sustainable development entails the ability of individuals to influence and manipulate the forces of nature for their enhancement and that of humanity (Anazodo et al, 2012).
Todaro (1980) for instance, views development as “a multi-dimensional process
involving changes in structures, attitudes and institutions as well as the acceleration of economic growth, the reduction of inequality and the eradication of absolute poverty”. In another work this same scholar identified three core values of development (Todaro, 1989) they are; ability to provide basic needs or the ability to acquire adequate food, shelter, health care and protection. It also include perception of individuals or groups self-worth and esteem as a respected member of the society, and freedom in other sense that individuals and society at large have a say in, of not to determinethe method and process by which values are allocated in the society.
Adebayo (2000) argues that development takes place only when the central problem of poverty, unemployment and inequalities in a society have reduced from high levels. It is necessary to state that, they objectives of development is to extend the frontier of human lives.
Adebayo (2000) further asserted that, Nigeria’s as main problem is not its federalism but rather its visionless and irresponsible political elite who have manipulated its politics, economy and religion to serves their own parochial interest. Stashing away billions of dollars in foreign banks account while urging the masses to endure two decades of austerity and structural adjustment.
Achebe, (1983) in his book opined that, the trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character, the Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leader to rise to responsibility, to the personal example which are the hall marks of true leadership.
In addition, Huntingo (1994) everred that they two factors affecting the future stability and expansion of democracy are economic development and political leadership. It is an incontestable fact that corruption and mismanagement on the part of Nigerian leaders have made the success of democracy and development an illusion.
2.1 LEADERSHIP
Leadership is a process of influencing directing and co-ordinating the activities of organized groups towards goals setting, goal achievement and problem solving, that it necessarily involves taking initiative or initiating new structures and new proceduresand that is imperatively a function of the leader and the situational variable (Anazodo et al, 2012).
Eneh (2011) views that, Nigeria has been superseded in terms of development by some developing nations who Nigeria war far better than in 1960. This is on the fact that the nation abounds with abandoned projects and policy some saults which can be credited to the leadership crisis in the nation.
According to Mimiko (2011) “many years of political perambulation and inept, leadership have stunted Nigeria’s development, acentuate ineffective governance deepened alienation of the people for political process”.
Adeyeri (2007) reiterate that, Nigeria is a nation born in hope and optimism but has lived in anxiety for most of its 50 years due to the country’s failure to produce a nationally acceptable leadership that transcends ethnic, regional and religious boundaries, that can unit its diverse people’s for mobilization towards national development”.
Teller (2012) argued that, roles of leaders in economic development is crucial but the leadership that should engineer development is to raise the standard of living of the people via judiciously developing human and non-human resource for productive uses.
Dike (2000) two types of leadership (1) societal and (2) institutional leadership. That Nigerian leaders have led the country from independence are institutional leaders, who uses power and influence to pursuer private goals.
Achebe (1998) in his opinion buttress that, “tribalism, corruption, indiscipline, social injustice, and preference for mediocrity over excellence among others, none of these can be solved without good leadership in place.
Achebe sees that leadership is a sacred trust, no one get into it hightly because it demands qualities of mind and discipline of the body and will far beyond the needs of ordinary citizens Achebe (2010).
According to Buhari (1998) “the whole process of development lies in the primary of human resources about every other factor. But this capital has to be planned for, nurtured, educated and trained for the sole responsibility of the leadership”. It is not mere large number of people but a large number of highly skilled, motivated, manpower which is the engine of progress and development. Leaders are expected to raise the living standard of the general population for a more balanced and safer society. But reverse is the case in Nigeria and it has affects development in the nation.
Omolayo (2005) describes leadership as an essential oil that keeps the wheel of government working without any difficulty. Leadership makes the difference between success and failure in a country. It involves giving direction to citizen who are the critical assets of the nation. Leadership is a reflection of characters, which include but not limited to knowledge, vision, courage, openness, accountability, determination, transparency, motivation and patriotism put in place by office holder to lead their people and or followers so as to achieve reasonable and positive societal development. Thus, profound changes need committed leadership exemplified in transformational and actions (Ukaegbu, 2010).
In another development, leadership is an interpersonal influence exercised in a situation and directed through communication process towards the attainment of desired goals. Leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically and efficiently.
Ademolekum, 1986. Anyadike et al., 2014) leadership is the act of leading performed by a person authorized via appointment or election to do so. Leadership emerged because every nations and societies is either organized or seek to be organized as the masses cannot lead hence the need to have a few people to lead.
Leadership relates to exerting influence among a group of people so that the collective purpose of that group of will be achieved and optionally too, that group could be the entire world or country (Ojo, 2012).
To this study, leadership is the ability to bring out the number of talents and to operate effectively through other people making them gladly accept your goal while still having the freedom to do things their way. It involve and innovation while reorganizing this in others who share vision based on knowledge of the big picture, reiterate a clear consistent value, craffting a culture and strategy.
In addition, Mohammad (2010) “leadership is a concept that encompasses personal or group attributes, organizational, structural, arrangement, position, functions, responsibilities, knowledge, skills, actions and attitudes that are shape by the past and current socio-politiceconomic and cultural condition in pursuing shared common vision objectives. Thus, it is a road and vehicle leading from the pat through preset into the future.
Leadership according to Eze (2002) “all over the world, leadership is the most important number one factor that determines whether a nation can develop. That a leadership that is free, brave, patriotic, people oriented, destination bound, the leadership that understands the psychology of leading and applies it to the development of the people must be at the affairs of men”.
Leadership has to do with the management of people with clearly defined goals or objectives. It involves mobilizing and motivating people for greater productivity. It is the ability to operate effectively via other people making them accept the goals of the leader while other leader still has the freedom to do things their way (Ebegbulem, 2012).
Leadership is one of the essential determinants of development and a core ingredient in organising, mobilizing and inspiring societal; resources for the attainment of goals” (Ajayi, 2004).
Ayodele (2006) defines a leader “as an individual appointed to a job with authority, and accountability to accomplish the goal and objectives of the society”. He further buttress that a leader must be a good manager as well as an individual who is able to effectively coordinate the activities of followers or team towards pre-agreed or available resources. A leader must posses the ability to create in the followers the necessary effort to deliver on set goals. Thus, the ability not only to conceive but also to communicate a vision or idea is utmost importance as an attribute of leadership.
However, going by all the development parameters and performance indices, Nigerian leader, have failed, economically, macro-economic stability, fiscal discipline, economic reforms, due process and low inflation rate, massive vie unemployment and rising of the quality between poor, and rich (Lawal, 2013).
Unfortunately past administration have lacked these virtues or at best have possessed one at the expense of the other and as led them to grouping in the dark on how to deliver good governance. The increasing fears is that today, with the legislature implicitly, involved, the current government is guilty of the same crime, as the current administration have refused to cultivate leadership qualities. Shown to have knacks to develop a metal magnitude, as clear as our problems are, and there seems a lack of ability in appreciating and grasping the salient details as well as most of the temporal and practical implication of a given situation or problem (Dickson, 2012). Hence, the crop of leaders that have attained leadership position since independence in Nigeria had in one way or the other lacked vision and most of them have been engrossed with corrupt practices and political bickering leading to the enthronement of maladministration and mismanagement of public resources, which beget economic setbacks and abject poverty as national heritage. This is based on the fact that the socio-economic and political development of any country depends largely on the ability of its leadership to facilitate, entrench and sustain good governance. Good governance seen and a manifestation of committed, patriotic, and discipline leadership. In Nigeria’s fifty four years of independence existence, there is but little record of socio-economic development. This ugly trend is not unconnected with poor leadership as Achebe and others had asserted (Lawal et al, 2012).
Thus, professor Anezi Okoro, in his introductory remark as the chairman of dialogue 33, an African leadership forum, examine the various leadership dynamics, complexities and contradictions hat have transported African countries (Nigeria inclusive) from the misfortunes of colonial domination to the domination of bad governance and the consequent misery that has become the lots of most Africa. Africa leader, he said, have through a complex mix of mismanagement, pandemic corruption, primitive greed and gross incompetence, comprehensively retarded the growth of their nations and people and relegated them to the lowest rungs of global economic ladder. He lamented the tragic irony of African’s abject poverty in the midst of its often stated super- abundant natural and human resources. This he attributed partly to historical hangovers and subsequent neo-colonial manipulations, actively aided by thedivisive internal forces deeply entrenched at the heart of many African societies in the face of which both leaders and the followers have remained lamentably helpless, and at times, criminally negligent (farm HouseDialogue, 2000). Aside corruption, other factors that militate against good governance and effective leadership in Nigeria in constitutes moral or ethnical issues which operate as retardant to the emergence of effective leadership and good governance when they are absent in a polity. These include, corruption, ethnocentrism, the politics of exclusion, discrimination, political opportunism, economic mismanagement, weak social institution, weak bureaucracy, lack of transparency, job insecurity and unemployment, nepotism, mediocrity, lack of patriotism and sycophancy, lack of national consensus, communication gap between government and the governed, social political alienation, lack of respect for the rule of law, endemic poverty and low human development, poor population management strategies, flawed educational system, environmental degradation, intolerance, inconsistencies in government plans and lack of continuity e.t.c These have conspired to make the emergence of effective leadership and good governance difficulty in Nigeria (Farm House Dialogue, 2000).
2.2 NATIONALDEVELOPMENT
National development is the overall development or a collective socio-economic, political as well as religious advancement of a country or nation. This is best achieved through development planning which can be described as the country’s collection of strategies mapped out by the government leaders.
2.3 LEADERSHIP AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN PRE-COLONIAL NIGERIA
Before the advent of colonialism, Nigeria had different autonomous societies that administered governance on its people (Oyderian, 2005). This means that the leadership trend in Nigeria is traceable to the pre-colonial societies of the land. Administration or governance was not done in a vacuum. Development policies and programmes were duly initiated and executed by the people under the strict supervision of the respective leaders.
In Nigeria, societies were divided into Kingdoms, emirates, empires etc Notable among them are Oyo Kingdom, Benin Empire, Sokoto and Gwandu Emirate and autonomous communities, in East. This arrangement was acknowledged in three major political administrative systems thus, the Hausa/Fulani, the Yoruba political system and the Ibo precolonial system. In each of these systems there used to be the head or absolute authority or sovereignty in place. The kingdoms were also religious leaders, that is the North, while in the East where a non-centralised political system was practices, the autonomous communities were headed by the Village heads or the Chiefs otherwise the little leaders called Ofo (Akinterinwa, 1997). The pattern of administration of this effect was based on the value system of the people. For instance the use of Islamic law in the North was to compel compliance and total obedience to the constituted authority.
The arrival of the colonial powers however, saw the organization of the administrative structures in place and it was on these structures that they, the colonial masters established their own administrative machineries to carry out policies and programmes. Therefore, it is remarkable to point out that there was leadership in the pre-colonial state that was pursing development needs of the people. And it is comparative to observe that these leadership maintained the principle of checks and balances and thus peace, security, transparency, accountability and discipline among the members of the communities. However, the development pace was slow and primitive according to customs and beliefs.
2.4 LEADERSHIP AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN POST-COLONIAL NIGERIA
Post Independence Nigerian leadership had to swing to a new set of development objectives with the departure of British who had been the power, the oversees and principal actors. The father of independence like Zik, Awo Balewa, Ahmadu Bello etc were faced with the unviable task of forcing a national identity out of the multi-ethnic groups that were brought together without anyone being given the prerogative to hold to power and like the British did they had satisfy the competing needs and demands of the various localities, ethnic groups or religious.
Issues of national unity, religious dispatch or equity and social justice which were hitherto in the background now became major development goals, such national goals could not be achieved with “self representation” as the underlying directive principle for development.
2.5 LEADERSHIP AND GOOD GOVERNANCE
The attainment of good governance is a function of effective leadership, especially when judging in the light of Onah’s (2005) assertion that the attainment of organizational goals would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, if there were no specific individuals with the authority and responsibility to plan, organize, coordinate, lead and control activities. Therefore, the need for good leadership becomes unequivocal.
Leadership dwells in the realm of the people and their behaviour, hence in line with Ikpe’s (2000) definition of leadership as the activity of influencing people to strive willingly for group objectives and Ademolekun (1986) leadership as an interpersonal influence exercised in a situation and directed through communication process toward the attainment of desired goals, we therefore assert that effective leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically and efficiently.
While the debate on whether leaders are made or born persists, true leaders ignore such arguments and concentrate on developing the leadership qualities necessary for success; Qualities as adopted from Kouzes and Posner (n.d) honesty; forward-looking; competence; inspiring; and intelligence. Thus, one’s ability to exhibit these five leadership qualities is strongly correlated with people’s desire to follow one’s lead, as exhibiting these traits will inspire confidence in one’s leadership, and not exhibiting these traits or exhibiting the opposite will decrease one’s leadership influence with those around you (http://www.leadership501.com/five-most-importantleadership-traits/27/).
Afteral, John C Maxwell, in his 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, sums up the definition of leadership thus: "leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less" because it moves beyond the position while defining the leader, to looking at the ability of the leader to influence others - both those who would consider themselves followers, and those outside that circle. Indirectly, it also builds in on leadership character, since without maintaining integrity and trustworthiness, the capability to influence will disappear. Therefore, good leaders are made not born, hence whoever has the desire and will-power can become an effective leader because good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience (Jago, 1982).
Therefore, leadership is the act of leading performed by a person authorized though appointment or election to do so. Leadership emerged because every society is either organized or seeks to be organized as the masses cannot lead hence the need to have a few people to lead (Ujo, 2001). For the purpose of this paper, a leader is a person who influences a group of people towards an effective and efficient result. It is dependent neither on title nor formal authority. Thus, Ogbonnia (2007) defines an effective leader "as an individual with the capacity to consistently succeed in a given condition and be viewed as meeting the expectations of an organization or society." This is because leaders are recognized by their capacity for caring for others, clear communication, and a commitment to persist, as individual who is appointed to a decision-making position has the right to command and enforce obedience by virtue of the authority of his position. However, he must possess adequate personal attributes to match his authority, because in the absence of sufficient personal competence, he may be confronted by an emergent leader who can challenge his role in the organization and reduce it to that of a figurehead.
On the other hand, the ability of any country to consistently improve its performance in terms of economic growth and development depends on good governance embedded in well structured and diligently implemented public policy.
Conceptually, governance has been identified as a good omen provided it accomplishes the desired end of the state defined in terms of justice, equity, protection of life and property, enhanced participation of citizens, observation, preservation and respect of the rule of law and improved living standard of the populace. Thus, governance is defined as the process that is employed to achieve the noble end of the state. It implies the art of leading a people within a given territory or a state; consisting of two essential elements of the state, namely the structure and procedure of the state.
For enhanced understanding of the concept of governance, the Farm House Dialogue (2000) defined governance as the exercise of political, economic and social authority to regulate human interaction for the well being of the society. It furthered that whereas good governance is a state of satisfactory fulfillment of expectations and the achievement of societal well being by the mandated authority, the opposite is bad governance.
It is in this regard that the World Bank (2002) viewed governance as, “the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development. The Bank further identified the following three key aspects of governance: the form of a political regime; the process by which authority is exercised in the management of a country’s social and economic resources and the capacity of governance to design, formulate and implement policies and discharge functions. In line with the above, governance, is seen as the process of authoritative management of a country’s resources through a well designed, formulated and implemented policies for the welfare of the people. The effort encompasses institutional and structural arrangements, decision making processes, policy formulation and implementation capacity, development of personnel, information flows and the nature and style of leadership within a political system because governance is largely about problem identification and solving; and the extent to which the society’s problems are solved or not depends on how good or bad the governance is.
Bad governance according to the World Bank (1992) has many features, among which are: failure to make a clear separation between what is public and what is private, hence a tendency to divert public resources for private gain; failure to establish a predictable framework for law and in government’s behaviour in a manner that is conducive to development, or arbitrariness in the application of rules and laws; excessive rules, regulations, licensing requirements, etc, which impede the functioning of markets and encourage rent-seeking; priorities that are inconsistent with development, thus, resulting in a misallocation of resources and excessively non-transparencies in decision-making. When these features occur together, they create an environment that is hostile to development hence the essence of government is to engender development. In such circumstances, the authority of governments over their peoples tends to be progressively eroded; and as such, bad governance represented by corruption, and lack of accountability and transparency, provides opportunities for the well connected elites and interest groups in the society to corner for themselves a sizeable proportion of the society’s resources at the expense of the masses. Thus, bad governance is contrapuntal to a nation’s socio-economic and political development (Obadan, 1998, cited in Ogundiya 2010). Thus, the attainment of good governance requires accountability, transparency, rule of law and human rights, responsiveness, a strong civil society, free press, social sanction and reward system, popular participation, efficient systems and structures.