National Security, Promotion of Democratic Tenets and the Leadership Role of Government: A Review

Abstract

This paper takes a cursory look at the connecting dots between the entrenchment of national security and the promotion of democratic ethos in Nigeria whilst examining specifically what the leadership role of the Nigerian government should be and how well they have fared since the constitutional role of the Nigerian democratic government is the provision of welfare and national security. With the rising spate of insecurity despite our fledgling democracy that seems to confirm the insinuation that democratic governance is on vacation in Nigeria, this paper questions the powers, roles, performance of the leadership thrown up by the ideal democracy and how the continued sustenance of democratic tenets have reduced and altogether slowed down the effectiveness of the Nigerian government in the purposive promotion of national security. This paper finds that in spite of the growing globally tenable optimism that conceptualises democracy as a valid prerequisite for national progress, sustained national security, development and sustainability, there seems to be no conclusive indication that security would be guaranteed in a democracy, when the leadership is incompetent, dishonest or ineffective. The paper however concludes that this situation regardless, there is an integral indispensable and an invaluable relationship between the promotion of democratic tenets and the provision of national security, albeit, a remote one, but that a true and concerted promotion of democratic values and sincere political leadership would throw up a more secure nation, whilst making a set of recommendations that are geared towards promoting national security in a democratically governed nation.