Good Governance And Nation Building

The need for good governance in a nation cannot be over-emphasised as the success of running the entire nation largely depends on it.
Good governance is a tool for unity, stability, growth and peaceful co-existence amongst citizens. It is not about making correct decision but about the best possible process for making those decisions.
Therefore, good decision making process and good governance share several characteristics, all of which have positive effects on various levels of government. Good governance should possess the following characteristics:
Accountability: This is a fundamental requirement of good governance. Government is obliged to report, explain and be answerable for consequences of decision it has made on behalf of the people it represents.
Transparency: People should be able to follow and understand the decision making process. Following  the rule of law  means that the decisions are consistent with relevant legislation or common law and are within the powers of the council.
Responsive: Government should try to serve the needs of the entire nation while balancing competing interest in an appropriate and responsive manner.
Effective and Efficient:  The use of available persons, resources and time to ensure the best possible result for their citizens is essential.
Participatory: Anyone affected by or interested in a decision should have the opportunity to participate in the process of making decision. Citizens can be provided with information, their opinions could be sought and they could also be given the opportunity to make recommendations.
Consensus oriented: There are several actors and many view points in a given society. Good governance requires participation of the various  interest groups in the society on what is in the best interest of the whole community and how this can be achieved. It also requires a broad and long term perspective on what is needed for sustainable human development and how to achieve the goals of such development. This can only result from an understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society.
Recently, the terms “governance” and “good governance” are being increasingly used in development literature. Bad governance is being increasingly regarded as one of the root causes of evil within the societies. Major donors and international financial institutions are increasingly basing their aid and loans on the condition that reforms which ensure good governance are undertaken.
Since governance is a process of decision making and process by which decisions are implemented, an analysis on government focuses on the formal and informal actors involved in the decision making and process by which decision is implemented.
Government is just one of the actors in governance; there are other actors  depending on the level of government under discussion. In rural areas for example, other actors may include influential landlords, associations, NGOs, research institutes, religious leaders, political parties etc.
From the above, it is clear that good governance is an ideal but difficult to achieve in totality. However, to ensure sustainable human development, actions must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a reality.
Good governance is a catalyst to nation building through economic growth and development. There is much concern for concept of good governance in both national and international scenes because of its direct bearing on economic development and nation building.
Nation building aims at the unification of the people within the state so that it remains politically stable and viable in the long run. Nation builders are, therefore, those members of the state who take the initiative to develop the national community through developmental programmes, including military conscription and national content mass schooling. Nation building may involve the use of propaganda, a major infrastructure development to foster social harmony and economic growth.
It can be safe, therefore, to say that with good governance in place, a nation would attain progress; a vivid example is when a government  makes its process participatory, the people are involved in the decision making process, their opinions are sought and also the recommendations are considered. When this happens, there would be trust in the system, the masses follow up every event and are well informed. Hence, there is no room for violence or protest as the people would not just participate but also witness the results of their decision.
Subsequently, in the course of the administration, since there is mutual understanding, there would be obvious changes, progress and benefits which would be visible and beneficial to all and sundry.
A nation won’t be properly developed to its full potential if there is no good governance in place. Hence, good governance paves way for nation building.
Romeo is of the University of Port Harcourt.

Ruth Romeo