Welcome
again to another presentation from the course. In this article, we treated
the religious institutions, where we
discussed the meaning of religion,religion in Nigeria and its functions. Also we are going to
look at the political institution.
The
following post objectives indicate what you should accomplish at the end of
this article. At the end of this article, you should be able to explain the concept
of political institution, identify the features of the local government in
rural areas and explain how rural people show considerable interest in
political participation in their villages.
Meaning of Political Institutions
Political institutions
are the organizations in a government that create, enforce, and apply laws.
They often mediate conflict, make (governmental) policy on the economy and
social systems, and otherwise provide representation for the population.
In general, democratic political regimes are divided into two types: presidential (headed by a president) and parliamentary (headed by a parliament).
Legislatures built to support the regimes are unicameral (only one house) or
bicameral (two houses for example, a senate and a house of representatives or a
house of commons and a house of lords).
Party systems can be
two-party or multiparty and the parties can be strong or weak depending on
their level of internal cohesion. The political institutions are those
bodies parties, legislatures, and heads of state that make up the whole
mechanism of modern governments.
Political institutions serve the people of a nation in form of governments in their traditional and modern forms which exist at the local, state and national levels.
They serve executive, legislative and judiciary functions at each level
and also relate citizens to each level of government in the performance of
these functions. Each level of government also relates to the other in a
systematic and coordinated fashion, frequently ensuring a division of labour.
A
system of political organization is fashioned within which the philosophy and
methodology of governance and selection of active participants in the political
process evolve.
In
more developed societies like the United States, the rural local government is
frequently a continuation of the state or national government political
structure.
However, the native Indian tribes had their own system of rural local governance prior to the arrival of immigrants from Europe and during the early years of European settlement in that country (Gupta 2002).
Today, much of such structures have
been obliterated by the forces of modernization which have swept across United
States particularly during the last two centuries. Less developed nations or
countries like Nigeria still retain much of their traditional political forms
at the local level, although the modern political structure exists side by side
with the traditional forms. The latter which had influenced the lives of the
citizens over a much longer period than the former, still controls much of the
daily activities of the local people.
Unlike
some African countries, Kenya did not have institution of political chiefs
prior to the arrival of the British colonialists in that country. Most of the
communities were ruled via a council of elders.
In
1902, the colonial administration passed the village headmen ordinance, which
among the other things, provided for the appointment of headmen by the colonial
administrators. They were to rule on behalf of the colonialists at the local
level.
Japanese rural area fiefs during feudal times were divided into districts. These were administered by magistrates who were appointed by the fief government. The districts consisted of villages Mura.
In the urban areas were cities which
consisted of wards and villages. Wards were subdivided into neighborhoods of
five to ten houses, gonin gumi or junin gumi. The district magistrates linked
the fief administration with the people. They exercised legislative, executive
and judicial powers.
Features of the Local Government in Rural Areas
The
following features characterize the rural local government in many societies:
1. Resistance to Change: The local government is the institution through which the local people show their political expressions, thus like other rural institutions it is highly resistant to change.
The traditional rural local governing processes in many
societies have remained the same over centuries. Prior to the introduction of
the western systems of government in many African countries, the traditional
system of government had even remained the same.
2. Informality: Local government
structures and processes are highly informal. They are governed by traditional
mores, practices and relationships.
3. A High Degree of Autonomy: The local government enjoys a high degree of autonomy irrespective of the state or national government which could be a monarchy, republic, democracy or an oligarchy. This is because comprehensive local affairs cannot be supervised by the central government which is far from the local sense.
The influence of the central government becomes more effective in
governing the area with increase in transportation and communication, although
the high degree of autonomy is still common in most rural districts of the
world.
4. A High Degree of
Stability: Even in terms of rapid social change brought about by
the activities of the modern central governments which open up projects in
rural areas, change in the traditional rural system of government is often
gradual.
5. Rule by Discretion:
This is a common feature where mores predominate the ruling process. Taxation,
administration of justice, maintenance of facilities such as schools, roads and
bridges are informally executed. However, such traditional political
institutions have been largely replaced by central governments with growing
difficulties of virtually all societies.
6. Lack of Specialized: Political Leadership Those who led in other spheres of rural life frequently take the mantle of political leadership. In Nigeria, among the Yoruba and Bassa-nge people, seniority in terms of age, wisdom, membership of the lineage of leaders in the community and social standing, are some of the criteria for becoming the Baale or Madaki of a village ruling council.
In many Latin
American countries like Colombia, there is no financial gain for becoming the
Alcalde (Jibowo 1992). This is true of many other rural local governments in
other countries.
7. Complement of Formal
Local Government: The traditional rural local government
frequently helps the formal government in implementing some of the programmes
at the local level. For example, collection of taxes, criminal’s
identification, prevention of crime, security and safety of the rural dwellers
are best ensured by the village governments.
In
some Yoruba villages, Bassa-nge, Igala among others, prevention of crime, for
example, is carried out by engaging night-watchmen or vigilantes who are paid
by the village residents to help keep vigil, prevent and fight crime. The
number and effectiveness of the police force is so limited, in many other less
developed countries, that their influence in crime prevention is virtually
non-existent at the village level.
8. Subjection to the
Control of the Central Government: The rural local government
takes instructions from the formal local government, which it frequently
implements. The formal local government in turn receives instructions from the
state government.
9. Lack of Formal Means of
Enforcing its Regulations: The traditional village government
depends on mores, folkways, imposition of fine, and similar informal means of
enforcing its regulations. Although its regulations are frequently obeyed
because of the existing spirit of sodality among the inhabitants, disobedient
members can occasionally be forced to comply. With increasing influence of
formal political activities at the village level, disobedient members who are
bolstered by party loyalty frequently put the council in positions of
powerlessness to enforce its rulings.
10. Definite Pattern of
Governance: The rural local government has its own
pattern of governance, communication and decision-making. Among the Yoruba
people of Nigeria, each village is governed by a village council. This council
is headed by the Baale, who chairs all council meetings. He holds this position
for life. He is assisted in many cases, by a deputy. A village crier is
instructed by him to call meetings of village heads of households on important
occasions.
Rural Political Participation in Nigeria
The
farmers indicate a considerable interest in political participation in their
villages. Political gatherings and campaigns are occasions for large
assemblages of rural people to meet. This encourages solidarity among the rural
people.
In
Nigeria, the campaign meetings are accompanied by drumming, dancing and
acrobatic displays to meet important political figures. Speech-making in
support of a political party whose leaders are on such campaign tours is the
main item on the agenda for convincing eligible voters.
State
and local government level leaders of political parties meet with village
leaders and the electorate from time to time to discuss political issues. There
are frequent occasions for speech making and merriment by farmers, farmers’-leaders,
state and local government political parties.
As
rival political supporters sometimes clash during campaigns, and for the safety
of politicians who sometimes attack one another, thugs are often hired to
protect the politicians. This is because police protection is often inadequate,
and because of the design of some politicians to use the thugs to cause trouble
for members of the opposing political party.
The
casting of ballot to elect their representatives is a common practice in many
countries, apart from those in which military governments have forced
themselves into political power for the greater part of the history of
nationhood.
Rural
people vote more in relation to the number of people of voting age than the
urban people. Rural people vote more for personality rather than the party. One
party is also more likely to be favoured by majority of the rural people than
urban people who are more likely to divide themselves among the parties
favoured.
In
Nigeria, party support among rural people has been on ethnic basis. The
predominant party favoured in rural south-western part by the urban people has
been led by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo (1909-1987). Radicalism and
revolution have taken place among rural farmers, particularly when ownership
and control of their land is threatened. Farmers have often then resorted to
violent actions.
The farmer holiday movement of 1932 and 1933 in the Midwestern part of the United States, which also influenced some southern states, was an example of farmers’ revolt which sought to prevent dispossession of farmers.
The land use Act(1978) in Nigeria recognized this potential danger by making provision for
continued use by farmers, of plots of land which they were cultivating at the
time of the Act.
Farmers
often favour constructive measures and those which improve their own welfare.
They have opposed civil rights regulations and favoured price support bills for
agricultural products in the United States (Jibowo 1989).
Conclusion on the Political Institution in Nigeria: Meaning,
Features and Rural Political Participation
We
have examined in fairly general terms the issue of political institutions. By
now, you should be able to understand the conceptual issues of political
institutions.
We
have examined the meaning of political institutions, features of the
local government in rural areas and rural political participation.
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