Gaidam regime’s social welfare performance in achieving democratic consolidation in Yobe State, Nigeria
The study provides analysis of the regime’s social welfare performance of Governor Gaidam in achieving democratic consolidation in Yobe state regarded as one of the most underdeveloped states in Nigeria. Since the emergence of democracy in the state, the healthcare situations such as infant morta...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2017
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/70516/1/FEM%202017%2023%20-%20IR.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | The study provides analysis of the regime’s social welfare performance of Governor
Gaidam in achieving democratic consolidation in Yobe state regarded as one of the
most underdeveloped states in Nigeria. Since the emergence of democracy in the state,
the healthcare situations such as infant mortality, children under-five mortality and
maternal mortality rates were all higher than the national average. In the education
sector, the situation remained worrisome as student’s enrollment; completion rate at
both primary and secondary schools in the state was low. Similarly, infrastructural
development such as road access linking towns and villages were either absent or in
deplorable conditions. Consequently, due to such extreme situations, the state was
generally considered impoverished and underdeveloped which continue to pose
negative consequences on its democratic consolidation. When Governor Gaidam came
into power in 2009, the regime declared to address these social welfare challenges
through the democratic process. The objectives of this study, therefore, explored the
regime’s development objectives in social welfare aspects and assessed the impact the
regime’s welfare performance on democratic consolidation. Through qualitative
research design, the study specifically involved key democratic stakeholders including
members of the ruling party, opposition parties as well as civil society groups in Yobe
state. Thus, data collection technique involves semi-structured open-ended interviews
purposively with key informants and document analysis through the qualitative lenses.
Observational data were also converted to field notes for data analysis. The raw data
were analysed using transcription and sorting to develop trends, patterns, and themes
emerging from expressed view of informants. In essence, this study utilised both
primary and secondary sources of data that produced a balanced result. The finding
suggests a double-sided phenomenon: on one hand the euphoria of change and
improvement; on the other hand; critical view of the regime’s social welfare
performance deficits in the provision of quality and accessible health care, qualitative
and functional education as well as the regime’s efforts in road construction and
reconstruction across Yobe state. The study further identified reasons for the regime’s success and failures in delivering healthcare, education and road infrastructure in
achieving democratic consolidation. As the finding reveals, in spite of the major
challenges the regime faced, a nascent democratic government like in Yobe state must
perform optimally to respond to citizen’s social welfare demands in order to achieve
democratic consolidation. Democracy in this sense is thus propagated not only as a
goal in itself but is considered as an instrument that brings about social welfare
achievements to the fore in democratic consolidation process through better
institutions and structures of democratic governance. |
|---|