Réflexions sur les relations entre politique et administration en Afrique
By: ADAMOLEKUN, Ladipo
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ArticlePublisher: Paris : IIAP, oct./déc. 1998Revue Française D'Administration Publique 88, p. 611-622Abstract: This paper reviews the problems posed at the interface between politicians and higher civil servants in Sub-Saharan African countries since independence. It argues that there has been more continuity than change in the patterns of relationships. Although the attempts to promote "unified" politico-administrative elites minimised conflicts in some countries during the single party era, it was at the expense of adequate development and utilisation of technical competence. In order countries where separate domains of "political judgement" and "technical expertise" were recognised, neither was adequately developed in most cases, and the phenomenon of collusion in corrupt practices was widespread. Some of these problems have persisted while some changes are beginning to take root because of the emphasis on sound economic policies, political pluralism, and citizen empowerment
This paper reviews the problems posed at the interface between politicians and higher civil servants in Sub-Saharan African countries since independence. It argues that there has been more continuity than change in the patterns of relationships. Although the attempts to promote "unified" politico-administrative elites minimised conflicts in some countries during the single party era, it was at the expense of adequate development and utilisation of technical competence. In order countries where separate domains of "political judgement" and "technical expertise" were recognised, neither was adequately developed in most cases, and the phenomenon of collusion in corrupt practices was widespread. Some of these problems have persisted while some changes are beginning to take root because of the emphasis on sound economic policies, political pluralism, and citizen empowerment
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