CENTRALISATION AND DECENTRALISATION

CENTRALISATION

MEANING

Centralization is a process by which power is located in a single central decision-making body in a country. The highest degree of centralization is achieved where all the powers of government are vested in a central Authority. The degree of centralization is highest in a Unitary State. In other words, sense of Sharing of powers between the center and the subordinate units or government.

Merits of Centralisation

1.    Stronger and stable government: centralised government tends to be stronger and more stable than decentralised system of government. This is because citizens show loyalty to one central government.

2.    Reduction in cost:  the cost of running a centralised system of government is reduced because there is no duplication of government offices.

3.    Speedy decision-making:  there is speedy or quick decision making in a centralised government. This is because the single Authority in to which powers are concentrated did not need to consult any other authority before taking decisions.

4.    Promotion of national unity: the system promotes Patriotism as a result of absences of tribalism, sectionalism associated with decentralised and this gives rise to national unity.

5.    Uniform development:  all parts of a country that adopt centralised government tend to develops at the same pace,  because the country is one and not divided into section which remove sectionals sentiments.

6.    It  remove frictions:  The agreements that's usually exists between the central government and regional or state government are removed by centralisation

Demerits of Centralisation

1.     It encourages dictatorship: centralised government lead to dictatorship as a result of concentration of powers in a single authority.

2.    Central government is overburdened:  the central government is overloaded with too much problems as a result of concentration of all governmental powers in one single authority.

3.    Prevention of local authority: centralisation prevents local authorities from exercising power in their different areas based on their culture and traditions.

4.    It does not suit large territories:  centralisation is only suitable for countries with small size, not countries with large population, wide geographical areas, diverse language, culture etc.

5.    Government is far from people:  centralisation places government far away from the people especially those in of the interior parts of the country.

6.    Domination of minority groups:  minority groups in a country that adopt centralisation are dominated by their majority counterparts.

 DECENTRALISATION

Decentralization refers to a system of adminstration in which governmental functions are not concentrated in a single or central Authority but are shared among component or regional governments or units

Merits of Decentralisation

1.    Faster Development: the division of powers into different areas in a decentralized government ensures faster development.

2.    Unity in Diversity: decentralisation provides for the diverse element that made up the country through the recognition of the different ethnic groups that exist in the country.

3.    It Allays Fear of Domination: fear of domination of one ethnic group on others are reduced by decentralisation as a result of autonomy given to each ethnic group within the federation.

4.    Encourages Healthy Competition: decentralization encourages healthy competition among the component states, which goes a long way in leading to rapid development.

5.    It Brings Government closer to the People: decentralisation which involves division of a country into smaller government brings these governments to the door steps of the people.

6.    It allows for greater Participation of People in Government: this is made possible by the division of powers into central and component states, which gives rise to the duplication of offices and the requirement of more people to manage these offices.

Demerits of Decentralisation

1.    Inter-state Friction: decentralisation causes disagreement among states that made up the federation. This is as a result of differences in opinion among the component states into which powers are divided.

2.    It Breeds Sectional Consciousness: division of a country into different areas as done in a decentralized state breeds regional or state consciousness instead of national consciousness.

3.    Duplication of Organs of Government: All countries that practice decentralised system of government have the same structures of government that are in the central government in all the federating units, thereby duplicating unnecessarily.

4.    It is Expensive to Operate: It cost a lot in terms of materials and human resources required to operate a decentralised system of government mainly because of the duplication of offices.

5.    Fear of Domination: though powers that exist in a country are divided among the federating units, there still exist the fear of one ethnic group dominating others at the centre.

6.    It Leads to Dual Loyalty: the citizens tend to have two different government to demonstrate their loyalty, which is loyalty to their states and to the central government.