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.
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