Contending Issues in the Niger Delta Crisis of Nigeria - Journal of ...

Chapter III: Contending Issues in Governance and Democracy at the Local
Government Level in Nigeria: Some Reflections on the Niger Delta Question
preservation and peace of men in that society
over which he is set…
Governance
The term means the exercise of political power to manage the affairs
of a nation. The usage of the term covers both the measurable aspects
of services delivery and the more fundamental aspects of political
responsibility. Two very important areas are in reference here. These
are the aspects on;
(a) Improvement in public policy outcomes and
(b) Implementation by all stakeholders of a set of principles and
processes by means of which appropriate public policies will be
designed and put into practice.
The main elements of governance according to Adamolekun (2002:3)
are ‘rule of law, freedom of expression and association, electoral
legitimacy, accountability and transparency and development oriented
leadership’. While governance should be seen as concerns over the
effectiveness of a state’s institutional arrangements, decision making
process and capacity for implementation, democracy expresses
popular sovereignty, equality and representativeness.
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