Question 3
Highlight five major factors that have contributed to the weakened governmental institutions in many West African states.
Observation
This was not a popular question and many of the candidates avoided the question. Few of the candidates who attempted it did not understand the demands of the question and scored low marks. The candidates were expected to write the following points as answers to the question.
- Inadequate funding for operations
- Inadequate/poor logistics
- Poor/inadequate staffing
- Poor conditions of service
- Corruption, nepotism and favouritism
- Negative work attitudes
- Misappropriation and embezzlement of public funds
- Political manipulation/interference
- Political patronage
- Overstaffing
- Misplaced priorities
- Shift in focus and assigned mandate
- Poor policy direction
- Inconsistencies in policy implementation
- Inadequate research into organizational strategies
- Non-existent competition
- Poor evaluation and assessment of the operations of the institutions
- Poor and incompetent/inefficient leadership
- Inadequate capacity building/training
- Weak application of the constitution and other laws
- Ineffective civil society organizations
- The existence of a compromised media
- Political instability
- Undue administrative bottlenecks e.g., “red-tapeism”, bureaucracy etc.