Political Leadership and Underdevelopment in Nigeria. (A Study of Buhari’s Administration)
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF STUDY
- To examine the ways political leadership contributed to the under-development of Nigeria amidst the abundant natural and human resources available.
- To ascertain if there is any way underdevelopment would be ameliorated considering the Nigerian situation presently.
- To find out the problems militating against the leadership in Nigeria in their efforts to shun the underdevelopment which is in its persistence.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Sommer .R. and Sommer .B. (1980:26) define the review of literature “as a process of finding out about previous work done on a particular field of study”. It surveys the research previously done on the problem and evaluates what these research has and has not accomplished in solving the problem currently understudy. (Osuala 1983:30.31). In this regard literature that are relevant and political leadership will be reviewed in the course of this study many eminent scholars have written on phenomenon of underdevelopment.
Rodney (1982:7) views underdeveloped countries into the world capitalist system in a subjugated position. He argued that before incorporated, African was developing on its own but has been degenerating since her contail with the world capitalists system finally he recommended disengagement from capitalists system. This he asserted that; African development is possible only on basic of a radical disengagement with the international capitalist system the principle agency of underdevelopment of African. The research concurs with Rodney in his argument that imperialism and its capitalism played a crucial countries such as Nigeria. However, Rodney didn’t point out the role of the political leaders in the continues underdevelopment of these countries after independence.
Ofting (1980:242) in the same vain posits that un-development resulted from imperialism and subsequency. He emphasized that historical situations of dependency have conditioned contemporary under development in African and other under development societies.
Thus he asserted, the underdeveloped societies remain so today because they were forcefully brought into the international economist system at a very immature stage and also because the dominant document dominated. and rations continues.
ONYMODE (1983:76) observed that underdevelopment in Nigeria is as a result of imperialism. He explain that the specific character of imperialism in Nigeria involved salary, which means that historical and current underdevelopment of the country could not be explained or understood without explicit analysis of imperialism in the whole process. He emphasized that development and underdevelopment are simultaneously products of the same imperialists system. Thus he assorted that, if for centuries some countries hence cumulatively appropriating the national economic surplus of other countries as body project, levies and the like and if this economic surplus is the life blood of any economic system then logically at some distant future date, we should expect this simple imperialist process to produce development in the exploiting imperialists countries and simultaneously produce underdevelopment in the dominated and exploited areas.
FRANT (1996:224) writes that under development in large part the historical produce of past and continuing economic and other relations between satellite (i.e under develop institutes) and the developed matrophition countries. Thus he assert that, indeed, the economic and political exparision of Europe since the fifteenth countries has come to incorporate underdeveloped countries into a single stem of world history which has given rise simultaneously to the present development of others.
AJA-AKURU-AJAi8u (1998:49:50) also views underdevelopment as a product of history. Thus he persisted that, the history of underdevelopment duties back to the contact between Europe and the rest of the world. In which case them is no history in any attempt to separate the phenomenon of imperialism and colonialism from the emerging socio-economic formation of the new nations at the end of colonialism in many parts of the world.
NKRUMAH (1973:313) in his own perspective observed that neo-colonialism perpetuates underdevelopment and prevents countries under its influence from developing. The greatest danger at presents facing African is neo-colonialism …” He emphatically concludes that underdeveloped countries would not move forward towards economic independence until neo-colonialism or neo-aspiration was vanquished. The fact that the independent. Ake is of the view that underdevelopment will persist if there is no disengagement from capitalist relations of production. He therefore recommends socialism as a panacea for overcoming African Nigeria underdevelopment. However, he pointed out that accumulation of wealth by the political socialism and greatly limit what can be achieve under socialists regime.
However in the long run, the production focus will be developed. OKOYE (2000:107) posits that the post-colonial African states such as Nigeria underdevelopment largely because of failure of political leadership. He however underscored the impact of colonialism especially its interpretation of Nigeria world capitalist economic system in a subjugated position. Hence he emphasized the negative and crucial effect colonial economy left on the post-colonial economy. The character and orientation of emergent political leadership, which results in a situation where state power is used as instrument of accumulation of private wealth, hence perpetuating underdevelopment. Thus, he asserts that with private economic interest tactfully tried to state power in African (Nigeria) and the consequent unscrupulous struggle to capture and exercise it which has continued to exacerbate academic conflicts and economic underdevelopment in the continent, the leadership in African (Nigeria) has remained a primary excruciating burden that the continent (country) must successfully address before it deems development would be realized.
OKADIGBO (1987:139) in his own view Conair’s with Nigeria is simply and squarely the failure of leadership. He insists that there is nothing basically wrong with Nigeria character, nothing wrong with the land of climate or air or anything else. The Nigerian problem he concludes is the un-writtergneos or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility to the challenge of personal example, which are the hallmarks of the leadership of Okadigbo now evaluated Achebe view. The leader cannot sustain him and his spirit cannot share, if he does not have the tools to work with and the right institution and constitutional structures where he operates. This is a point that the desriaise leader must have the practical apparatus for success.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
This chapter specification necessary procedure used to carry out this project which includes research design, area of study, population of study, method of data collection sample and sampling techniques distribution and retrieval of questionnaire sources of data method of the data analysis. All the above will be thoroughly explain in order to appreciate and reveal the contribution of political leadership to the underdevelopment of Nigeria with particular reference to president Buhari’s administration.
DESIGN OF THE STUDY
This is a format employed to accomplish a systematic application aimed at identifying variables and their relationships to one another it is used in this research work for the purpose of obtaining data to enable the researcher answer research question.
The researcher used the sample surveys design, the sample survey design are cross sectional studies whose sample are drawn in such a way as to be representative of a specific population.
AREA OF THE STUDY
The geographical location of the study is emphasized this project tends to cover Nigeria as a geographical location in Africa with particular attention paid to president Buhari’s administration.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
A population is defined as the entire groups under specified by the objective of the research project. Here the population for this research work covers the 12 states of the federation, two each chosen from the six geo-political zone making a total population of 1,200 population of Nigeria that witnessed the political leadership of president Buhari’s administration with particular reference to politicians technocrats and academics.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
This chapter is concerned with the presentation and analysis of the collection from some politician, technocrats and academic that witnessed president Buhari’s administration.
TABLE 1: Contribution of Political Leadership To The Underdevelopment Of Nigeria
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION
The first chapter covered a broad spectrum of the introduction, statement of study, purpose of study, significant of study, purpose of some research question and scope of the study. The second chapter embarked on the literature review which focus on the theoretical framework; examined the impact of colonialism and its important capitalism in the shaping of the orientation and character of political leadership in Nigeria.
This chapter is concern with presentation and data analysis collected from some politician technocrats and academic that witnessed Babangida’s administration for instance sex distribution then, 120 respondents were male, while 90 were females.
CONCLUSION
Underdevelopment has persisted in Nigeria as a result of character of the political leaders and the pervasiveness of the state power, which they control. Nigeria has basically reminded underdevelopment/ underdevelopment. First because of the parasitic nature of leadership. They have failed to pay their historic role of production forces and base of the capitalists economy. This class contributes little of nothing to the development of forces of production and the industrial base of the economy, on the other hand, because they lacked secure economic base, they have converted state power to instrument for accumulation of private wealth and though it have plunder resources meat for development purposes.
Furthermore, the leadership class have perpetuated economic dependency of the Nigerian economy in a special way. This is mainly because they have played the role of internal collaborators of the neo-colonialist bourgeoisies economy. The oil sector on which Nigeria’s depends on is dominated and controlled by foreign companies.
The situation is worsened because technological industrial. The economy is thus, undiversified and depends on oil sector. The dependent economy have been perpetuated by the governing class because it is tied to their economic well being.
The way underdevelopment persists in Nigeria unless there is a radical and positive transformation in the character of her political leadership, Nigeria cannot make a head way towards the goal of overcoming the problem of underdevelopment.
RECOMMENDATIONS
No matter the amount of wealth at the disposal of a nature, it cannot move if it lacks the right resource for development. Hence for Nigeria to overcome her underdevelopment and to achieve sustainable development effective leadership. This leadership must be a true representative of the people and must be disengaged from neo-colonial and exploitative practices.
Secondly, there must be a democratic setting under which the people will have their full right and liberty to elect their own, only under this condition can the right leadership be instituted. Beside, democratic order will give room for full and free participation of all citizens in the task of development. Having achieved the right leadership, the leaders should ensure that the citizens take full control of their economy. The productive base should be liberated from foreign domination. Furthermore, the local industry, agriculture and technology must be encouraged supported developed.
In addition education should be fashioned to leave the colonial mentality of inferiority complex so that Nigeria can look inward to their potentials for development. Education should also make to create practical scientist that will contribute meaningfully to the technological and industrial base of the nation.
When these things are done the nation will move forward a sustainable development. However, the road to development will not be easy at all, to that effect a call is made for a revolutionary struggle and disengagement from capitalism which is very exploitative. But with good and futuristic leadership and political good economic restructuring, a promising future is inherent leadership and underdevelopment is a broad spectrum of a topic, it is recommended to all that more work must be done on its for more effective and efficient analysis.
REFERENCES
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