Understanding Labaran Maku’s Good Governance Tour

Simply put, governance means the process of decision-making, whether implemented or not. The media, lobbyists, international donors, multi-national corporations, etc, are known to play one role or the other in decisionmaking or influencing its process or possible outcome. In urban areas, organised crime syndicates may also influence decision-making while powerful families do the same thing in rural areas. Arguably, these influences give room for corrupt practices as each group make every effort to have their way, even as government officials are always at the receiving end, hence they attempt to protect the sovereignty of the state by whatever means possible.

It is important to point out that representative democracy does not necessarily mean that the concerns of the most vulnerable in the society must be taken into consideration in decision-making. Informed participation is often needed. However, all members of the society are expected to be given a sense of belonging.

The Kaduna State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been making frantic efforts to carry all the merging parties along as it plans to wrest power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

But the ward congresses the party held in some states witnessed many challenges as some people

It therefore behooves on every government to carry its subjects along in issues that concern them. And to achieve this, accountability, not pretence, is a key requirement of good governance.

To possibly assess the level of governance, the federal government, through the Ministry of Information, recently embarked on a project it called the Good Governance Tour. There was also what the ministry, under the supervision of Labaran Maku, called Ministerial Platform. The initiative was part of activities to commemorate the nation’s Democracy Day on May 29 and the one year administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Good Governance Tour was especially introduced to address complaints by a lot of Nigerians that government at all levels was not doing enough to improve the lives of Nigerians. Expectedly, unsavoury reactions trailed that project, even as the achievements the Minister of Information said they recorded sounded as fairy tales from the moonlight to concerned Nigerians. And do you blame Nigerians for doubting the sincerity of the federal government?

Over the years, respective governments have always lied to Nigerians, thereby giving them false hopes that would amount to nothing at the end of the end while they live in open affluence. The people are so disenchanted with the government that only tangible actions will convince then otherwise. The people demand practicality, not rhetorics.

We recall that the Good Governance Tour, which was approved by the president, the Federal Executive Council and the National Economic Council, the National Council of States and the Nigerian Governors Forum, is similar to an earlier project by a former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana 11 years ago. The former minister also embarked on a media tour where he reported the achievements of their government. That government attempted to let the people see what it had done. We now know better. Nigerians have suffered numerous broken promises by successive governments. Is this one an exception? That is obviously why the country in not moving forward.

The Rt. Rev (Prof) Cornelius S. S. Bello is the Bishop of Zaria Diocese, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).