VALUES AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS: THE RELEVANCE OF THE SOKOTO CALIPHAL EXPERIENCE TO THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE NIGERIAN POLITY
VALUES AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS: THE RELEVANCE OF THE SOKOTO CALIPHAL EXPERIENCE TO THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE NIGERIAN POLITY
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Date
1977-02
Authors
TUKUR, MAHMUD MUHAMMAD
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Abstract
The rationale of this study is that Nigerian civil politics and
their institutional base broke down because of the disharmony
between the socio-cultural environment (i.e. the worldview and
ethos) and the political system nurtured by the Westminster-Whitehall
model. Its thesis is that if a viable and enduring system is to be
created, the structural framework needs to be predicated upon the
political culture of the communities which make up the polity and
the policies and actions of leadership groups ought to be informed by
the socio-political values held by the wider society.
For this reason, it was urged, it has become necessary to undertake
studies of various pre-colonial polities in order to understand the
woridviews and ethos which inspired those political cultures. The
Sokoto Caliphate is the subject of the present study. Its foundations,
conception of the policy-making authority, management apparatus and
approaches to change are systematically analysed. A similar approach
is used to delineate the political thought and socio-political values of
contemporary Nigerian leadership groups. Then a comparison of
the two epochs is undertaken with a view to determining the extent
of their similarity and discord and an attempt is made to evaluate
the relevance of the caliphal values to the transformation of Nigeria.
The dtssertaion concludes with a proposal for a development
administration curriculum which can build this experience into the
education and apprenticeship of Nigeria's administrators.
Since values are the corner-stone of the study, a content analysis
of the relevant writings of the founders of the Sokoto Caliphate is
undertaken with a view to identifying and classifying those of them
which deal with politics, administration and law. A similar, but less
structured method is. used in delineating contemporary Nigerian
political thought. The exercise produced a profile of the socio-political
values of the caliphal and contemporary leadership groups as they
appertain to values such as justice and unity, to orientation to authority
and succession to office, to the conception of leadership, representation
and accountability, and to their approaches to varieties of change.
In addition to the values and conceptions, the decision-making and
policy implementation institutions and managements are discussed. The
discussion attempts to demonstrate how basic principles and organizational
modes of administration such as delegation, decentralization, and
accountability are a common feature to the two systems. It also indicates
that specificity of assignments, specialization, hierarchy and loyalty to
norms rather than persons - basic elements of 'legal - rational'
systems - are characteristic of the caliphal system. This, therefore,
leads to the conclusion that rationality and modernity are not the
monopoly of the contemporary management system introduced under
the aegis of the Westminster-Whitehall model.
The delineations show the following results. Both the caliphal
and contemporary systems highly esteem values of justice, integrity,
consultation and public service as well as end-states such as security
and equality. In their respective quests for realizing these goals,
however, the caliphal system demonstrates more faithfulness to its
ideals. The contemporary leadership groups, on the other hand,
show less commitment and determination to act in accordance with
the tenets of the ideals they also profess.
Moreover, there is a major dissimilarity between the two
particularly in their conception of community, their socio-economic
outlook, the importance they assign to social morality as a guide to
action and their conception of leadership and its relationship to
learning. The basis of this difference is largely to be found in the
agnostic liberalism and the secular ideal which form the bedrock of
the transplanted Westminster-Whitehall-Sandhurst models. In its
turn, this phenomenon has its root in the educational system and the
socialization processes introduced by the agencies of imperialism.
The effect of these on the modern elites, the thesis further argues,
is a mentality and habit of mind which creates confusion, inferiority
complex, indiscipline, excessive materialism and inability to
distinguish between permanent principles and changing methods. The
consequence of this phenomenon is instability, disorder and unviable
political, economic and administrative institutions.
If Nigeria is to escape from this disability, suggests the study, a
new conception of the political system is necessary. It should aim at
securing, among other things, a clear conception of the goal society,
a state apparatus which is in harmony with the cultural environment
and responsive to the needs of society and a legal system which is
relevant to the way of life of the generality of Nigerians.
The thesis then goes on to argue that once this is achieved, it would
be possible to fashion an educational system which will set out to
neutralize the harmful effects of the ideals implanted by imperialism.
However, existing leadership groups, guided as they are by the ideals
of agnostic liberalism and the experience of Euro-American social
democracy, are not in a position immediately to work for these changes.
An intermediate solution will, therefore, have to be sought. Hence the
study concluded with a proposal for a reformed public administration
programme which will emphasize the cultural context of
administration, stress the primacy of moral and human values and
underline the dependence of quality on a brand of knowledge which has
a moral dimension to it.
Description
DISSERTATION FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF
PHILOSOPHY IN THE FIELD OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA.
Keywords
VALUES,, PUBLIC AFFAIRS,, RELEVANCE,, SOKOTO,, CALIPHAL,, EXPERIENCE,, TRANSFORMATION,, NIGERIAN,, POLITY.