THE ROLE OF STATE AND NON-STATE ACTORS IN GOVERNANCE IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

Abstract

The South Eastern part of Nigeria in recent times has been under the command and control of state and non-state actors, especially in the areas of security and governance. The Federal, State, and Local Governments, and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) – a self-determination group, declared a terrorist organization and proscribed by the Federal government – have been calling the shots from the better part of 2021. Consequently, there have been clashes between the official government security agencies and the IPOB-established Eastern Security Network (ESN). At the governance level, the issuance of directives and counter directives like public holidays, and sit-at-home, among others has become commonplace. What is obvious from the unfolding situation in the South East is that the people are at a crossroads as to whose lead they should follow. In view of the foregoing, this paper interrogates the role of state and non-state actors in the governance of South East Nigeria. The methodology of the paper was based on content analysis, utilizing data from secondary sources like journals, newspaper publications, and security reports among others. The paper was anchored on the theory of Two Publics by Peter Ekeh (1975) and the major argument in the paper is that the failures of the state actors have endeared the people to the non-state alternative. From the analysis in this paper, we conclude that the Indigenous People of Biafra enjoys informal legitimacy because they appeal to the primordial sensibilities of the indigenous populace and recommend among others, that the federal government should embrace dialogue in the interest of peace and political stability.