Public Participation in Legislative Oversight: A Review of Nature and Practice in Nigeria and South Africa

Abstract

The principles of good governance prescribe the notion of separation of powers and its institutionalization as a way of checking the excessive use of power, promoting accountability and protecting the interest of citizens (South African Government 2016). According to Bo Li, as cited in Dogara (2015), ‘tyrants will not be benevolent rulers simply because the constitution tells them to. In order to guard against violations of the letter and spirit of the constitution, there needs to be a set of institutional arrangement’. The executive, legislature and judiciary are key institutions that control the spheres of the government. These arms co-exist based on autonomy, separation of powers and checks and balances. Good governance can therefore, be assessed in relation to the performance and the extent of healthy interaction between the executive, legislature and judiciary (Dogara 2015).