THE IMPACT OF CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVITIES ON THE MAINTENANCE OF DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA, WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE NIGERIAN LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY: Since the country gained its independence from the British administration in 1960, Nigeria's experience with democracy has been erratic. The year 1999 will mark the country's third attempt (if the country's third republic is disregarded because it was abolished even before it began) at coming to terms with the democratic ethos. Violence, corruption, political association, and most recently, godfatherism have not only undermined Nigeria's democracy but have also gone a long way toward threatening the democracy's very sustenance. In each case, practices that are widely accepted to be at variance with the true spirit of democracy were perceived to be the primary reason for the demise of democracy. In Nigeria, these practices include: (Aiyede , 2022). The term "civil society" refers to the subset of society that exists apart from both political society and the state. It is made up of civil associations or independent groups that have been formed by individuals who share a common interest or aspiration, whether it be politically, economically, socially, or culturally, with the intention of monitoring the activities of the state, such as the distribution of resources, civil and human rights, and the exercise of power. The Civil Society is the driving force behind the democratic process. It provides a framework for the limiting of governmental authority while also setting the tone for facilitating the democratic process. Additionally, it supplements the roles of political parties by encouraging political participation, promoting the growth of democratic attributes, and creating channels other than political parties for the articulation, aggregation, and representation of interests. All of these things work to complement the roles that political parties play. In addition to this, it keeps an eye on the operations of the state and spreads information that might assist individuals in pursuing and defending their own interests and beliefs (Ananaba, 2022).

In the forty-nine years since it gained its independence, Nigeria has spent the most of that time struggling with political, social, and economic failure. There have been many failed efforts to maintain and strengthen democratic governance. None of these attempts have been successful. Pessimism has once again been fostered about not just the future of democracy in Nigeria, but also the survival of Nigeria as a political entity. This pessimism is being fed by the revival of ethnic and religious violence that has occurred all throughout the nation. The manner in which the government finds solutions to these problems will decide not only whether Nigeria's nascent democracy is short-lived or long-lasting, but also, and perhaps more crucially, whether Nigeria disintegrates or reconfigures itself as a nation-state (Balogum , 2021).

In light of these worries, it is very necessary to rethink the idea of Civil Society as a potential treatment for the democratic deficit that exists in Nigeria. Exhilarating work awaits anyone who take up the challenge of considering the meaning of "Civil Society" in the context of Nigeria's political theater. The first issue that comes to mind is: would this theorem remain true in an environment that is so drastically different, both socially and physically, from that of the Western world, which is often regarded as the bastion of democracy? The solution needs going beyond a prescriptive method and using a strategy that tied the notion of Civil Society inextricably to the social, cultural, and historical institution of a society. In other words, finding the answer requires going beyond a prescriptive approach. Therefore, Civil Society becomes a symbol of the value that individuals participating in it place on it, rather than the value that the West places on it (Bayert , 2022).

In recent years, the idea of "democratic governance" has grown more prominent in the literature on development, and the keyword "civil society" has become an important component of the post-military ethos in countries that are still in the process of building their economies. Since democracy, human rights, public engagement, regime stability, transparency, accountability, probity, privatization, and shrinking the size of the state are receiving a growing amount of attention, the crucial function of Civil Society can no longer be overlooked. The growing universal consensus on the relevance of Civil Society to the survival of democracy can be attributed to a variety of phenomena, ranging from the decline of the Western state to the transformation of the former Soviet bloc to the resistance against authoritarian regimes in the developing world (Diamond , 2022). This new agreement on civil society has not been beneficial to the process of democratization in Nigeria. Post-colonial statism and the protected year of military dictatorship have provided a flimsy foundation for the aggregation of private interests and the weakening of official power. As a direct result of this, corruption has grown pervasive across Nigerian society. When it operates effectively, civil society is in a position to support governmental reforms, combat corrupt practices, fight for the protection of human rights, promote and defend democratic processes and institutions (Diamond , 2022). In an effort to explain why the idea of Civil Society is so important for maintaining Nigeria's fledgling democracy and in an effort to predict how democratic institutions will continue to evolve in the future. The research questions listed below will serve as a guide for the essential inquiries that will be inquired into about the function of civil society in the process of democratic consolidation.

1.2   STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

It is widely argued that, the development of any democracy depends largely on some supportive institution in the political system. The most -important of these institutions is the Civil Society. This research will look into the role of Civil Society in sustaining democracy in Nigeria.

Over the year, the Civil Society Groups we have in the country have not been performing their specific, primary, and statutory role. This inability to perform their roles has led to a form of deficiency in the kind of democracy we practice in the country. This research work is directed towards looking at these roles and how why they have not been adequately performed.

1.3   RESEACH QUESTIONS

    This work is designed to provide answers to the following questions:

1. What is civil society and why is it critical to democratic survival?

2. What is the relationship between civil society and the state?

3. Is the consolidation of democracy feasible in Nigeria with reference to the Nigerian Labor      Congress (NLC)?

4. Why has the civil society failed to adequately perform and what is the consequences of this failure?

1.4   OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1. To critically assess how Nigeria Labour Congress has contributed in sustaining democracy in Nigeria between 1999 to 2014

 2. To identify factors that shapes the activities of the Nigeria Labour Congress from 1999 to 2014

3. To understand the nature of state-civil society relations in Nigeria.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE   OF   THE    STUDY

It will look critically into the role of Nigeria Labour congress in sustaining democracy in Nigeria.

It will serve as basis for further research and knowledge production on issue of Nigeria Labour Union in sustaining democracy in Nigeria.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The researcher shall restrict the scope of analysis to the geographical entity known as Nigeria and the various civil society group found in it. These various groups will be used as case studies from time to time as the circumstances demands, however, these does not mean that when the situation demands, references will not be drawn from other countries in as much as it will help to advance our case.
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

As the case usually is, there are certain limitations the researcher will be faced with in the cause of this work. One is in the area of finance which might have a direct consequence on the quality of suitable materials. Apart from finance, also considering the fact that research work of this nature is often done within a time frame. The study therefore can not be exhaustive in its entirety.
However, it is hoped that these constraints so named, will be checked mated by making the best use of the materials we have and spending more than the necessary time in the research work, therefore, we strongly believe that despite these constraint, its effect on this research report will be minimal,thus, making the objective and significance of the study.

1.8 METHODOLOGY

Secondary sources of gathering data will be largely employed for our variables. This again will be based on content analysis, what these involves is the critical review of related materials, literatures, journals, magazines and textbooks, it will also involve sourcing or browsing the net for materials. Communication with authorities in the field will also not be overlooked.