Social contract theory: Rule of law and essence of govt

WITHIN academics, there are significant number of views, perceptions, and theorizing around the subject matter “essence of government” in society, particularly popular versions like Thomas Hobbes, J. J. Rousseau, John Locke and a host of African scholars as well to mention a few, especially under the umbrella called social contract theory in the explanation of the state of nature. They establish their arguments by expressing justification and inevitability for having a government and why the government will continue to be relevant across space, clime, and time as far as society is in existence for the sake of orderliness.  But if the essence of government is justified by views,  or by being theorized about,  in practice, what is the justification for having a government? For the essence of government to be truly justified,  the law of the country will have to be invisible in ways and manner that it will not be a respecter of  anybody, or any social status,  but rather be a  gauge for  justice,  the subject of right,  the subject of wrong, and ensure that defaulters pay heavily for crimes committed.

It should strengthen the country’s institutions and not  individuals. Then, the people or the citizens of such a country would automatically have confidence in their government through the instrumentality of the kind of law available,  the mode of operation and how it is tailored to the society,  not the abode of jungle Justice but rather, a place everyone is so attached to.  Part of the responsibilities of the government is to ensure equitable distribution of opportunity, wealth creation, security, and provision of an enabling environment for everyone to thrive,  but in recent times,  the way in which fuel subsidy removal palliatives is being distributed is questionable. It constitutes a feast among a particular set of people while  failing to get to masses who truly need it and who should  in the first instance be the people it was originally designed for. When only politicians and civil servants are taken care of,  what becomes the hope of artisans, among others? The lopsidedness would have been avoided if the government had done both the removal of fuel subsidies and palliative distribution after conducting a census. This would have given the government a blueprint regarding the rapid population in the country, the economic strength,  weakness of households,  with better projections, the realistic, sound and reliable economic policies being roll out, and with a high level of efficiency. But the reverse became the case.

There is a connection between how governance is practised,  meeting the true yearnings of the masses, and the level of loyalty the citizenry demonstrate in return. The average Nigerian desires to leave the country,  considers the country to be a failed state, and  no longer believes in the idea that the government is working, or that the country could be better or get to the level of their expectations, achieving their aims, goals, and the aspirations of the founding fathers because the body language of the government is not encouraging. Imagine,  the mere distribution of palliatives could not get to all the households. Then,  is there any assurance that the true dividends of democracy will get to people in the long run?  With this palliatives failure, can people be hopeful of a better Nigeria? There is a connection between good governance and quality of life, and until this issue is attended to,  the country will continue to experience brain-drain everyday, and Nigerians will continue to become poorer by the day, and loyalty to the country will continue to fade everyday.

• Akinyemi, a sociologist, writes in from Ogun State.

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