Benue State University, Makurdi

Good Governance and the Challenge of Development in Nigeria: The Benue Experience

Franc Ter Abagen

Abstract

The return of democracy in Nigeria in 1999 was supposed to usher in remarkable progress in areas of personal freedom, liberty and above all development for the people as compared to the military regime. But since then, there has not been the desired development. This study seeks to examine the relationship between good governance and development and to identify the various causes and problems associated with bad governance causing underdevelopment. lt is the position of the paper that, Benue is underdeveloped not as the form of government that is in place, but as a result of non-accountability, embezzlement and corruption. There it recommends that, the way forward and for development to take place is for the Leaders to embrace good governance, accountability. Finally, for Benue state to achieve its desired development, political office holders should emerge from a legitimate process right from the political parties' primaries to the election proper. The kind of political office holders we have did not emerge from a transparent and legitimate process which eventually led to bad governance as is evidenced by the gross unclerdevelopment of the state.

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