By Shamsuddeen Muhammad
In Nigeria or Africa as a whole searching for good governance and development is inextricably linked to the search for or revalidation of democracy. As one look at the history of democracy, it is common to detect an undertone of rush voices clamouring for purchase in the debate regarding how the country will be governed. It is my utmost belief that this undertone is the footprint of civil society. The concept of civil society was introduced in Rome by Cicera. In the classical Greek time the state and society were almost in equal status. Civil society is the arena outside of the family, the state and the market where people associate to advance common interest. It is sometimes consider to include the family and the private sphere and then refers to as "third sector" of the society. Sometimes the term is used in the general sense of the of the elements such as freedom of speech, an independent judiciary etc that make up a democratic society. Civil society and meaning has been different in different historical phases of political discourse. In the period of mid eighteen century as a consequences of renaissance, humanism and scientific revolution, legitimacy and absolutism was questioned. That started seeking about the sources of political and moral authority and the reason behind absolutism. The danger of anarchism causes human beings to be aware of the need for mechanism to protect themselves.
However, as I read various definitions I came to my own conclusion it seems to me that we shall look at civil society as the vital foundation on which democracy is built. There are definitely challenges and civil society is not perfect but democracy itself is a noisy business. We cannot invite millions of people to participate in self governance and expect it to always go smoothly or to be entirely predictable. Yet, as long as civil society is allowed to operate freely, democracy will remain strong and healthy.
Democracy, it has been said, is the rule of the people by the people and for the people. A democratic administration is one in which the people, all the people, are enabled to express a free choice on all matters affecting them. Democracy is not an event. Its a process, which constitutes the creation and maintenance of operational institutions and an appropriate political culture. An essential attribute of democracy is good governance, which goes hand in hand with accountability and transparency. A government cannot claim to be democratic unless it is fully accountable to it people and conducts its business in a transparent manner. Good governance is therefore about the greater satisfaction of the greater number of people by rights in general and the rule of law. Some popular examples of civil society organizations in Nigeria include; National Youth Council of Nigeria, Arewa People's Congress, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, etc.
The central importance of civil society in promoting good governance in Nigeria is viewed from the following angles;
1. Monitoring: This implies the systematic tracking of activities of and actions by institutions, organizations or government bodies. The purpose and focus of an organization's monitoring activities depends on the issues the organization addresses, goals and priority it has set to address. Human rights organizations most naturally focus on human rights situations and the activities of government in that regard. Budget tracking is a good example of what monitoring implies. Its the duty of civil society who work in the area of human rights to see how the funds voted for a particular project is used. Monitoring implies taking a closer look at the activities of government in order to constructively engage Government or other relevant institutions.
2. Advocacy: Civil society has a duty of information dissemination and lobbing push through pro-people policies. Lobbying or use of public campaigns depends on the particular condition in the country and its human rights and civil society groups. There is need for strategic planning to enhance productive information sharing. Letting the people to know of what is happening around them.
3. Defending Human Rights: This is one of fundamental functions of civil society organisations. Most individuals view civil societies as the bastion of human rights. History as shown that literacy and awareness of human rights are complimentary. In a country where more than 50 percent of the people is illiterate, it behooves on the civil society to protect the rights of the larger society. This can be achieved through litigation, strike and other lawful means if protest. A virile civil society begets a free society.
4. Use of International Mechanism: Civil society organizations has responsibilities of putting to good use international mechanism like the NEPAD peer review mechanism, communication to Africa commission and the other mechanism. As watchdogs, they are in a good position to bring to international forum the activities of their governments. Also they can judge the performance of their government with international standard taking instance, the NEPAD peer review mechanism. There is constant need for civil society organizations to beam the searchlight of the international community on their country. That way there will be a parallel view of whatever their government is selling to the world.
5. Mobilization: Effective civil society involves the people for whom it advocates. Irrespective of the area of focus, mobilization is a key component of any progressive activity of civil society. Mobilization is the process of motivating and coordinating people for a purpose. Human rights mobilization involves working with affected populations to amplify their needs and concern. The stronger the links between an organisation and a community, the greater the organisation's ability to advocate for the community's needs. The activities of civil society organizations are mostly determined by the prevailing needs of the society.
Shamsudeen Muhammad
Email: shamsudeenm575@gmail.com
Contact: 070562209944
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