Building the Plateau of Our Vision – Agenda for Plateau Governorship Aspirants: Agenda No. 2  

This is the second in a series of agendas for the leading contenders of the Plateau State governorship seat. It is aimed as my contribution towards achieving the 'Plateau of Our Vision'. This is where governance provides for: common welfare, security, peace, social mobility, infrastructural development, justice, domestic tranquility, education, secure liberty, human dignity, health, egalitarian society, survive, as well as securing our pride of place in the Nigerian project, in addition to shielding a better future for Plateau citizens.

I am not oblivious to the fact that the candidates for this exalted office will be busy with campaigns and may not have time to read through this article. Nevertheless, it is hoped that your aides will bring this to your attention. We also want to make sure that posterity will judge us right, because we have not kept silent.

Strong Institutions, basis for development
It is a well established fact that a strong institutional framework creates the backbone for economic development and prosperity within a society. Indisputably, the differences between rich and poor, developed and developing, first and third countries of the world lies within the effectiveness of their institutions. An impressive institutional equilibrium, is an important function of the political process and distribution of political power in a society. It is incumbent to point out, therefore, that institutional reforms are a much needed anchor for any developmental policy initiatives that the incoming government should pay particular attention to. For us to move towards the path of economic growth, our political process must enable reformation of the institutions of governance. A vote for you as a governor is a vote to lead an institutional change, as this is necessary for building an egalitarian and economically empowered society. As a governor, you would have acquired the relevant political power to secure political institutions that will realize the much needed institutional change. I make bold to postulate that the provision of infrastructure is a secondary need in comparison to institutional reforms because good institutional architecture is a foundation for virile infrastructural development – it cannot be argued with.

The famous American economist, Douglass North in his 1991 paper,presented a summary of his earlier work relating to economic and institutional change. In this paper, North defines institutions as “the rules of the game in a society” or “humanly devised constraints that structure political, economic and social interactions.”Constraints, as North describes, are devised as formal rules (constitutions, laws, property rights) and informal restraints (sanctions, taboos, customs, traditions, codes of conduct), which usually contribute to the perpetuation of order and safety within a market or society. From this definition, one can glean that institutions impact on the order of any given society. One important aspect of this definition is that the “constraint” is humanly devised – meaning that it's possible to influence this area through governance, if the political will avails. Governance can influence the way in which the political and economic life of a people is organized – our choices and/or strategies on how institutions evolve are an important determinant of economic and developmental performance.

Without sounding like an economic lecturer (which I am not), the importance of institutions are that they create consistency and stability, clear uncertainty, police and enforce contracts, and protect rights. They engender incentives for human interactions and provide impetus for order. Once the right institutions are created, they facilitate the various interplays between social, political and economic contextual arrangements. The evolution of institutionalization in our dear state, will have the potential to ease social mobility and transform our 'civil service' state to an industrialized one – where the lives of its citizenry will be positively affected in all facets.

From the discussion so far and a study of the current situation in Plateau State, there is obviously an urgent case to be made for institutional change. Suffice it to say that dysfunctional institutions are the bane of the organizational framework to ensuring that society is rid of vices of underdevelopment. The American's 19th century economic revolution is credited for the basic institutional framework that evolved at the start of that century – particular reference is made to its Constitution, the Northwest Ordinance of 1789, and the norm of behaviors rewarding hard-work. In the late Middle Ages and Early Modern periods, Europe experienced massive changes in property rights which altered the configuration of political power that had hitherto been monarchical where the feudal system of property ownership held sway. These changes in the distribution of political power led to major changes in political and economic institutions, strengthening the property rights of both land and capital owners and prompting a process of financial and commercial expansion. The results were rapid economic growth, culminating in the Industrial Revolution, and a very different distribution of economic resources from what obtained in the late Middle Ages. We can go on and on with historical examples, but of course our context is different and it will not help unless we have leaders that can sacrificially lead this process. Leaders with charisma who understand that building starts from the foundation and not otherwise.

I strongly believe that thePlateau story can change. We can take our pride of place but we need leadership that inspires confidence, that creates the enabling environment and emboldens our human capacity. As a minimum there is the need to consider deliberate policy initiatives aimed at having a good equilibrium in economic institutions, political institutions and political power. My agenda for you is that you hit the ground running with a clear plan for the reformation of these institutions.

We would look at agenda No.3 in the next series. Should you require reference to the previous writing please follow the link below:

http://pointblanknews.com/pbn/articles-opinions/building-plateau-vision-agenda-plateau-governorship-aspirants/

Bernard Doro
Manchester, United Kingdom.
Feel free to engage by email: [email protected]

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