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| Politics, Policy And Governance: Interrogating The Triangular Relationship In The Nigerian Socio-Political Environment |
OBI Emeka Francis, EWUIM Ngozi Christiana (PhD), NWOSU Azubike Paul
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Abstract:
It is not uncommon in Nigeria to see people dismiss a government policy statement as being a mere political statement. It is also not uncommon for governance actions to be construed (rightly or wrongly) as being undertaken to score cheap political points. In the light of the interwoven nature of these variables, this study interrogates the triangular relationship among politics, public policy and governance in the Nigerian socio political environment. Anchored on the theory of Two Publics by Peter Ekeh (1975), this study argues that centrifugal forces of cultural affinities, ethnicity, religion and geographical contiguity - that are prominent features of the primordial public - interplay in the Nigerian political space and impact greatly on public policy making and governance. Data for this paper were generated from secondary sources such as journals, books, internet publications, among others, which were analyzed based on their content. From the analysis in this paper, we conclude that variants of some of the policies we adopt in Nigeria - like quota system - are applicable in other parts of the world with success stories to show for it. Thus, it was recommended in this paper that our national values as a nation should be promoted, taught in schools and should form a core part of the orientation for public office holders at all levels - political and administrative; federal, state and local government levels. These national values are contained in section 23 of the Nigerian constitution of 1999 are discipline, integrity, dignity of labour, social justice, religious tolerance, self-reliance and patriotism.
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