The role of traditional rulers in governance The 1999 constitution does not allocate a role to traditional rulers. Traditional rulers, because of their status as opinion leaders, became increasingly drawn into partisan politics for monetary gain. This made them vulnerable to the political shenanigans of the day. They consequently lost popularity among rival political groups, some of which formed their traditional constituency, and this eroded their power base. Arguments are therefore made that traditional rulers should be insulated from partisan politics to enable them to serve the greater good. However, CRM interactions with both state and nonstate stakeholders revealed conflicting views regarding the institution of traditional rulers. There are those who hold the traditional political institutions, of which traditional rule is an important integral component, in high esteem. They see traditional rulers as the leaders closest to the grass roots, especially the majority living in rural communities. Therefore, traditional rulers are well placed to help improve communication between citizens and the rulers. On the other hand, there were those who see traditional institutions and traditional authority as archaic, authoritarian and irrelevant in a modern society. The diaspora and remittances Some estimates put the number of Nigerians living in the diaspora at more than 20 million. The large number of Nigerians living outside the homeland has had a tremendous impact on the country, for both good and ill. On the positive side, there are the many highly distinguished and revered Nigerian professionals in the diaspora who render invaluable service to mankind everywhere around the globe. They are renowned academics, actors, musicians, artists and international leaders. In April 2007, the governor of the CBN estimated inward payments at US$7.7 billion – a sum larger than the GDP of 29 of the 53 African countries. In its December 2007 report on remittance flows, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) estimated that the 2006 remittances to Africa amounted to US$38.611 billion, of which US$10.399 billion went to West Africa. Nigerian receipts were put at US$5.397, or 4.7 per cent of its GDP. On the other hand, anecdotal evidence shows that some Nigerian people living abroad engage in financial and other criminal activity such as drug trafficking, prostitution, money laundering and ‘419’ scams. These reports are so frequent and numerous that they are harming the image of the federation. There is, therefore, a need for Nigeria to investigate fully the challenges and constraints that its large migrant population faces in order to facilitate their contribution to the development of the country. Social indiscipline, disorder and value reorientation A significant impediment to improving governance in Nigeria is pervasive social indiscipline, sometimes bordering on disorder. Social indiscipline is manifested in the seemingly total disregard for adherence to set rules 22