By Brave Dickson
Citizens of the country especially in Rivers State have been urged to demand responsive governance from politicians in office.
A peace development expert, Mr Borve Paago who dropped the hint in a chat with our correspondent said it is time to discourage winner takes it all politics in the state and country.
He said: “The citizens need to step up their demand for responsive governance.
“The type that will enable the political class to understand that they are bearing the mandate entrusted to them by the citizens and not them entrusting the citizens with mandate.
“When the citizens are consciously engaging the government, regardless of the situation, political office holders will begin to understand how to speak responsibly to the people they govern.
“So, in terms of winner takes it all, which to me is a form of primordial form of politics, it has no place in our society.
“We are operating from the level where, we do not have a defined political culture. You can easily see this in the lack of political ideologies by the political parties.
“Entrenching a culture of responsibility remains a deep gap that is existing, not just in Rivers State but the entire nation’s politics.
“And that is responsible for the kind of governance system that we have which is bad.
“Until politicians begin to recognize that governance is an all inclusive process which brings everyone together, regardless of tribe, sex and religious orientations, we will not move from where we are.
“Ideally, the gains of politics ought to have transcended to everyone in the society and not to a specific class, nationality, gender or religion.
“When everyone starts recognizing the fact that the governance space is for everyone and there are no restrictions, then we can do away with adversarial politics and begin to look at responsive governance as the means to achieving development in our political line.”
