POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN ZANGO KATAF L.G.A OF KADUNA STATE (1999-2015)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
It is a true that the quality of leadership and overall governance in a country directly affects the level of political stability and development that such country enjoys. Bad governance and poor leadership only result in under development and political instability (Ologbenla, 2007). It is on the recognition of the imperative of leadership and governance to a country that Nnablife (2010) avers that the survival of a system rests with leadership. All things rise and fall on leadership because leadership effectiveness is a steering that drives a nation or any organisation to heights of development and productivity by the application of good governance (Folarin, 2010). The post-independence Nigeria continues to grapple with the monster of bad leadership and governance which have been the bane of political instability and poor state of development in the country. With the diverse mineral and human resources, it is not farfetched to expect Nigeria to soar high in consonance with the economic giants of the world. Paradoxically, Nigeria – the giant of Africa (as it is called) wallows in socio-economic, political and infrastructural decadence in all her crevices. The inability of Nigeria’s leadership to harness the nation’s vast resources and reserves towards socio-economic development continuously calls to question the composition of the fabric of the nation’s leadership and governance. There seems to be a total collapse of ethical governance with the abuse of every moral norm of administration and a loss of conscience towards ‘rightness’ and objectivism in polity. To this end, it becomes a wonder if Nigeria can ever rise out of decadence and her impoverished state if those that are meant to drive the steering towards the nation’s emancipation lack the morality and sanity to do so. It is against the backdrop of this that, this article reflects on the issue of political leadership and good governance in Nigeria.
