Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs Funmi Olayinka has observed that only good governance and separation of powers can engender effective
internal security in Nigeria to rescue the nation from her self- inflicted woes.
Olayinka in a goodwill message titled “Good Governance and Separation of Powers: A panacea to effective security in Nigeria” presented at the 2012 International congress of the Ireland branch of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which held in Dullek, Ireland submitted that good governance is neither literary nor academic.
According to her, “It is, in plain language, the necessity for those in the corridor of power to provide, for the greatest number of people, those things that would make them live a worthy life of satisfaction. It is to give to them an enabling environment where they maximise their God given potentials to achieve their life purposes without let or hindrance. Government itself is a product of the society and must always connect with the society that produces it”.
While explaining that the government is the people and the people are the government, Olayinka opined that there must be a flow of interaction and unbroken cord of relationship that makes the government and its gladiators feel the burden when the people’s expectations appear not to be met by their policy thrust.
She added that the government cannot act above the legitimate interest of the people, as any alienation or disorientation would definitely spark a string of discord and ruffle the collective feathers.
“When the government and the people stand at opposite directions, by human nature such stand-off naturally degenerates into mistrust, suspicion and self-help. As to be expected when a person or group of persons loses faith in a commonwealth and decides to dive for cover elsewhere, he is tempted to resist a pressure for conformity with basic rules of behaviour.
She added that service is the hallmark of good governance, “service premised on sincerity of purpose, diligence and common good of all. On this the leader is absolutely accountable and responsive since he has social contractual obligations to meet the yearnings of the constituents.
Considering this as the minimum responsibilities of government, the government itself is structured to prevent the monopoly of power by one single individual or institutions, after-all, absolute power corrupts absolutely. This as you all know makes the concept of separation of power irresistible in modern structure of government.
According to her, “there are three basic powers of the state to make laws (legislative), enforce the laws (executive) and interpret the laws (judicial) which have been surrendered to it, in the first instance, by the people are exercised by distinct institutions and persons. The fusion of these functions may promote absolutism, autocracy and/or totalitarianism. The controller of the absolute powers may maintain his grip for a long time, but this would have only succeeded in stiffening the people to resistance at a long run. The experience of the Arab Spring and its consequences are instructive
here.
She observed that the tenet of separation of powers becomes assaulted when the people for whatever reason loses confidence in the system and resort to self-help in an attempt to provide an alternative that would guarantee their self-esteem. Nigeria, at the moment, may not be said to be autocratic, but are our institutions and/or the way they are run independent enough to assuage those who perceive institutional fusions in our polity?
To me, the answer is in the affirmative. But does every group believe in the fairness of the system? Or better still, is the system free from in-built elements that encourage mutual suspicion and mistrust?
Has the corrupt tendencies in the operations of the institutions not militated against the togetherness of the nation? These are issues I am sure this conference would address very vigorously.
She concluded by saying every Nigerian has a collective responsibility to assist the nation rediscover its bearing and get back to its feet again.
Olayinka in admonishing Nigerians to be patriotic enough in their dealings with mutual respect to one another, said political leadership must be used as a tool to add value to the lives of the people and not as an instrument of oppression and callousness.
In his own address presented at the occasion by the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, the National Chairman of the ACN, Chief Bisi Akande explained that the party’s founding fathers have remained active with integrity for good governance. He added that the leadership continues to learn to imbibe the culture of legitimacy in power; while, at the same time, the followers are daily feeling proud enjoying the confidence of the general public as members of the most credible opposition in Nigeria.
According to him, while we will forge ahead fighting undue regimentations from outside quarters, we will continue to give selfless leadership for harmonious human management and purposeful organization within the rank and file of our party.
For keeping to this culture of selfless leadership and smooth transition from one set of leadership to another without breaching inter-personal harmony, I am happy to join you in celebrating the out-going administration of Mrs Bunmi Salako and in welcoming the new administration which, I am sure, will endeavour to show-case a higher culture of legitimate leadership in Ireland about which our party in the diaspora shall continue to be proud.
Last modified: September 23, 2012