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Participation in some form or the other has been included as an important element in development strategies of countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed, participation has become an essential ingredient and a prerequisite of good governance. Participation is also linked to poverty and social exclusion. This is because participation supports efforts at self-help, which are meant to eradicate poverty and encourages the growth of democratic institutions, which creates political space for disadvantaged groups, who were originally excluded from the decision-making process.The absence of public participation has proved to be damaging to good governance. By undermining accountability, transparency, and encouraging corruption, it weakens the ability of government to carry out its functions efficiently, including by diluting equity from the provision of government services. It creates feeling of being ignored; on belongingness; and negligence on own affairs and on citizens-government relation.

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Henok Seyoum Assefa is a lecturer at Ambo University,Ethiopia.He is a graduate of MPA(Master of Public Administration)from Addis Ababa University,has received a BA degree in Political Science and International Relations from the same University.The author´s special area of interests include governance,Democratization, and Public Policy.

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