Leadership, Public Finance, Accountability and National Development in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper seeks to examine the role of leadership, public finance and accountability on national development in Nigeria. Public finance, accountability and National Development cannot be achieved without the role of leadership. Leadership is the hub. A good leader is accountable and utilizes public finance for the development of the nation. Accountability is holding bureaucratic power accountable to ensure that public trust is not abused or misused. In recent times Bureaucrats give very scant regard to accountability. They forget that they are stewards who must give account to the public. Accountability is giving account of one’s stewardship. In Nigerian civil service and the public service, it is the Machiavelli’s style that is in operation. The survival of the fittest, the winner takes it all have become the norm today. This unethical conduct has led the country to corruption. This paper is therefore concerned with pointing out why national development has stagnated for some time now. The neglect of the core issues of this paper are responsible. To redress this, I recommend a fool-proof system of checks and balances that will be based on transparency and through supervision. I have adopted the trait theory of leadership in my exposition of leadership options that are open to us.