“Justice without strength is helpless, strength without justice is tyrannical. Unable to make what is just strong, we have made what is strong, just” Pascal, Pensees (1670).

“It is not enough to make policies, structures and systems, unless the mind that makes the policies, structures and systems changes”: paraphrased by Siaka Charles (2006).

The issue of governance is not new, it is as old as creation (Genesis 2:15-18). Sadly, the church is yet to demonstrate good example of principles of good governance. The Africa Church leaders have often been told by secular leaders to clean the huge backlog of injustices, corruption, leadership struggles, poor succession plans, tribalism, and mismanagement of resources. The list can go on and on, before they dare to speak against the issues in politics and governance.

In spite of all the above principles of bad governance in the church, it still has a large presence and commands respect. It, therefore, needs to clean the mess in its backyards in order to regain its rightful position in society.

The concept of good governance surfaced in 1989 in the World Bank report on sub-Saharan Africa, which characterized the crisis in the region as a “crisis of governance” (World Bank, 1989). Since then, governance, whether good or bad, has become a major conditionality for donor funds.

The Bible does not definitively mention good governance, but Genesis 1:28 and 2:15-17 described the situation where God instructed MAN to take care of creation, which involves decision making (stewardship). The World Bank defines good governance as the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development.

According to Prof. John Wibberley, governance means the setting and maintaining of standard of law and order; this may apply at family level but usually in the context of civil society. Good governance is comprehensive to issues it affects and considers. It, however, is not intrusive in seeking to control people’s lives in details, as in totalitarian states both in extreme left-wing case of communism and the extreme right-wing case of dictatorships; by a small oligarchy, and most times, by one dominant leader.

In considering good governance, democracy, which refers to the legitimacy of government, is seriously considered. No wonder the quality of governance is ultimately attributable to its democratic content. Neither democracy nor good governance is sustainable without the other. Therefore, there is need for the convergence of both, conceptually and practically.

A good governance system puts further requirements on the process of decision making and public policy formation. It extends beyond the capacity of public sector to the rules that create a legitimate, effective and efficient framework for the conduct of public policy.

Bad governance, on the other hand, refers to the breakdown in the effectiveness of government structures and systems. The governments of developing countries, especially those in Africa, are usually accused of bad governance to the point that donors’ funds meant for them are, more often than not, re-directed to civil society organizations.

Bad governance has negative attributes of the main thrust of good governance related to public sector management, financial management, modernization of public administration and the privatization of state owned enterprises in a transparent, accountable, participatory and equitable manner. Governance exists at family, community, church and institution, regional, local, national and global levels.

The actors of government depend on the levels of operation. The dimension of good governance includes: spiritual, political, economic, environmental, cultural and social. The church must ensure that the secular institution recognizes the spiritual dimension of governance because without it, we labour in vain.

For palatable governance, the following ingredients should be considered: Participation, rule of law, election (democracy), and independence of the judiciary, accountability, transparency, effectiveness and efficiency, delegation, capacity building, infrastructure development, effective reforms, responsiveness, consensus in decision making, effective communication and succession plan.

Many African countries have observed crucial democratic processes in the last two decades in observance of good governance. Nigeria, Africa’s big brother, just had its elections April, 2011. On the 11th August, 2007, Sierra Leoneans went to polls to elect their president and parliamentarians on constituency basis, the first in over 20 years. For the Church in Sierra-Leone, which includes para-church organizations such as Christian Development Association of Sierra-Leone (CDASL), the Evangelical Fellowship of Sierra-Leone (EFSL), the conduct of peaceful elections on August 11, 2007 was dream come true.

Within the decade, Liberia, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, Rwanda, among others, conducted democratic elections, which brought in what looks like leaders popularly chosen by their people. In North Africa, the wind of change is currently blowing across the region, and what looks like democracy and good governance waits in the horizon. And Africans in the secular environment are taking the rebirth of inclusive democracy and good governance seriously as the best way to go.

As a church, we have emphasized the kingdom value for democracy and good governance as recorded in Genesis 1:26-28, I Corinthians 10:24, James 3:17, through seminars, training, workshops and sermons. The church has also made several press releases, sensitization and community mobilization efforts for violent-free elections. Prayers have been organized in churches and public places for the conduct of peaceful, orderly, free and fair elections. The church has led the way the declaration of periods of national prayers and fasting for peaceful elections. The church also took part in voter education on the necessity to participate in the electoral process, and in the provision of local election monitors to ensure transparency and fairness.

In general, the church must ensure that: Electors are encouraged to enable the electorate exercise their votes responsibly, and to call to account their elected leaders to act ethically in the cause of justice, peace and care for integrity of creation. Elected leaders, after elections from time-to-time should be made to give their stewardship to the people on their activities and how they have fulfilled the pledges they made in their manifestos.

We must realize that the real issues of democracy begin after elections. Effective strengthening, accountability, rule of law, and promotion of participation are the core values of democracy and good governance. Therefore, our elected leaders must explicitly address the issues of justice, equitable distribution of resources, implementation of policies and programmes which promote national unity, cohesion and democracy as an ultimate means to reduce poverty and human suffering.

The civil society organizations must also harmonize their different agenda. The church must continue to lead the country in prayers and Biblical thinking towards national well-being as recorded in Romans 13. They must prophetically speak out on issues from a Biblical standpoint via inter-denominational bodies such as CDASL, EFSL, CCSL, RURCON, CRUDAN, AERL, Tearfund, Micah Challenge/Network, PFN, CAN, among others.

The church’s role in good governance can be more effective and productive, if the former practically proclaims and demonstrates the principle of good governance itself. In Micah 6:8, the Lord requires the church to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humble with your God. This is the way to good governance!

Dr. Akpogena, a Christian devotional writer, resides in Port Harcourt.

Lewis Akpogena