LAGOS — Dean of the Faculty of Social Science, Lagos State University, Professor Abubakar Momoh, has said the only way democracy would yield dividends in Nigeria is for politicians to stop playing destructive politics, even as he lamented that the problem of democracy in Nigeria is politicians and political parties.
He spoke as a guest speaker at the 2nd Legislative/Civil Society Parley of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Speaking on the theme, “Good Governance at the Grassroots in Lagos
State”, he said, “Democracy is about representation, participation and
inclusion but submitted that not all the three factors were present in
practice of democracy in Nigeria.”
Momoh argued that what the country had in the last 14 years was not
democracy but despotism, saying most politicians were not representing
the interest of the masses even though they were supposedly elected by
the same masses.
Explaining the rationale behind government at the grassroots, he said
the way the Local Government Council Areas, LDCAs, were created was
highly political.
He noted: “If they are community and development focused, then the
issue regarding bureaucracy will be a thing of the past. There are
structural and behavioural issues that are wrong with our politics.”
“Chairmen of local government are like hand-bags, they are not
independent in terms of finance, among others. Part of the challenges of
grassroots governance includes corruption, constitutional ambiguity of
tenure and powers of LGs, among others.”
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