That the National Good Governance Tour has been successfully conducted in the North Central Zone of Nigeria, starting from the Federal Capital Territory, through Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa States in that order is not news anymore. Kogi State could not be visited, consequent upon the deadly flood that affected the state, with already known myriad of problems for the citizens, the state and the nation at large. Happily, the flood has receded and Kogi State is to be visited early this year.

The rationale for the tour, which in a nutshell, is to expose to the people of Nigeria what their leaders have been able to do with the resources at their disposal, thereby cross matching their words with their actions and gaining their buy-in into programmes, cannot be faulted.

And so it was that a large number of media executives, reporters and correspondents, representatives of Civil Society Organisations, and security personnel, led by the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, enthusiastically set out for the national expository tour despite the logistics and funding constraints associated with the tour.

Indeed, besides infrastructures and on-going projects spread all over the place, the tour has revealed a lot, most important of which is that the typical Nigerian, irrespective of tribe or religion, yearns for peace and actions by government that will improve his life and that of the generations coming after him. It became crystal clear that the people intently look up to their leaders for real governance and tangible development.

The National Good Governance Tour has given credence to the inviolable truth that leadership, translated into governance is a trust held on behalf of the people (the electorate) by the few that the same people freely elected, based on promises of quality services to be rendered (manifestos), made by the elected officials, to manage the people's resources and direct courses of action in a manner that would be beneficial to the majority of the people. That is the beauty of democracy!

The Jonathan administration, being so mindful of the imperative for alignment with the growing universal trend of open government, which impacts on the consideration and rating of countries in the comity of nations, instantly approved the tours and gave the Information Minister a strict charge to see all and say all.

The courageous inclination to embrace and adopt the open governance concept,which has been the hallmark of his tenure, has seen to several revolutionary actions and pronouncements in governance which will be the subject of another write up. Open Governance implies that elected officials cannot run the affairs of state in cavalier manners, from their idiosyncrasies and fancies, or transmute into Imperial Majesties or Autocrats such as would no more relate freely to the people, who they regard condescendingly, arrogantly think for, and who must do their biddings even at "point of pain" or mass inconvenience. Imperial Majesties, whether military or civilian, do what they please.

Evidently, democracy which Nigeria practises since the departure of the military in 1999, and which has continued to grow appreciably both in political institutions and structures that have been set up as well as in our psyche, demands openness. That is the emerging world governance order, which demands accountability from leaders as much as it demands regular consultations and explanations between the governors and the governed, not just to convey plans but even the stages and processes of arriving at such plans, decisions, programmes, etc.

The National Good Governance Tour through the instrumentality of the session termed "Citizen's Forum" has brought the leaders and the people on the same page. The Forum which is broadcast live on Nigeria's major news channels and is also streamed live on the social media channels, puts a stamp of authenticity to the interactions. The flair has been that besides the members of the public who come from all walks of life to attend the Forum and raise issues that bother them, questions have equally come in unhindered, from the near and far end of the world and have covered virtually all subject areas.

The thrill is that the raw, unedited questions and the spontaneous frank answers propel democracy to higher levels, as both the people and their leaders get to appreciate where they are coming from, share sincere feelings, reason together and work towards the common good of the people, their state and the nation. Thus, democracy is boosted and Nigeria is the better for it.

- Chikezie is the Director, Public Communication, Federal Ministry of Information