Politics and Administrative Responsibility in Nigeria: An Assessment of Legislative Mandate Performance and Executive Implementation of Public Programmes (1999-2012)

Abstract

Politics and administration are closely interrelated activities in the governance process of any country. The interplay of these two social activities is expressed in the dictum “administration begins where politics ends”. Put differently, politics deals with “law making” and “authoritative allocation of values” while administration focuses on the implementation of public programmes and policies for the overall
development of the country. Since democratic inception in May 1999, there has been an increasing surge for improvement in the delivery of administrative and democratic dividends to meet the needs of Nigerians estimated at 150 million. Thus, this paper is an assessment of legislative mandate performance and executive implementation of public programmes from 1999 to 2012. The paper argues that the past ten years of democratic governance in Nigeria has been very expensive and costly in terms of financial and human resources but less overtly impactful in terms of addressing poverty, insecurity and other challenges in the country. Consequently, as a prognosis for action and prescription, the paper advocates that government business should be directed at addressing injustice, natural disasters, insecurity of lives and property, decayed infrastructural facilities, unemployment, poverty, sustainable society, corruption, communal conflicts, etc. Politics and administrative responsibilities should be executed in an atmosphere characterised by service to the people, transparency, accountability, prudent management of public resources, periodic and honest evaluation of government programmes and activities and effective campaign against corruption at all levels. The place of control, checks and balances, harmonious relationship between the three arms of the government and foresighted leadership in improving performance of government and addressing the above challenges remain undoubtedly central.