AN APPRAISAL OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM AS AN AGENT OF DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

AN APPRAISAL OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM AS AN AGENT OF DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Introduction/Background of the Study

Before the advent of the colonial masters, various communities were governed through the instrumentality of their political institutions and these institutions were anchored on the peoples habit of thought prestige and customs.

Local government is an indispensable tier of government in the Nigeria federal system. It’s deeply rooted in the law of the land and derives its powers from the constitution section 7(1) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria states that “The system of local government by a democratically elected local government council is under this constitution guaranteed”.

It is clear that, local government is backed up by law and administratively, should have a democratic elected representatives of the people who are charged with the responsibility of moving the government toward attaining sustainability growth of national development.

Local government can be defined as a unit of government established by act of law to administer the functions of government and see to the welfare and interest of the local dwellers under the local government system (Okoli, 2005).

Local government has been acknowledged and accepted as the third tier of government in Nigeria federal structure. It is used to designate the effects made by the ruling elite to bring the government closer to the people. The broad motive of local government is to ensure grassroots participation in government and thereby encourage the growths and development of rural areas. The rational for this assertion is that Local Government is the nearest government to the rural dwellers and its has the capacity to identified their needs and demand than the other two tiers of government.

Local government is duty bound to mobilized the rural population for effective potion cal participation. This role is cardinal since it is constitutional function it has abundant and human resources, when fully mobilized will become valuable instrument for rural development.

The background of  this study is traceable to the military administration of Sani Abacha on 1^st  October, 1996. It occupied the westhern axis of Akwa Ibom State and lied between latitude 40^{0   ,} 35-50⁰  33 East and Longitude 70⁰ 25-80⁰, 25 North. It is bounded in the North by Uruan Local Government Area, by North East by Nsit Atai and in the West by Uyo Local Government Area. It comprises of two Clans, Ibesikpo and Asutan which was later merge together to be called Ibesikpo  Asutan Local Government Area.

Ibesikpo Asutan local Government Area is made up of twenty nine villages, group into ten political ward, with a fertile soil and favourable climate which promote the production  food and cash crops.

Trading and farming form the main occupation of the people, the area has seventeen secondary schools, fifty primary Schools and thirty five pre-primary/ Nursery school, one secondary health Institution and five primary health centers to cater for the health needs of the people.

1.2     Statement of the Problems

Local government areas are created to bring development to the grassroots or rural areas despite their constitutional status and the clear delineation of functions and area of jurisdiction, local government councils have not been able to effectively administered the localities by raising the standard of living of the people. It  could be insufficient fund, lack of autonomy and poor leadership. These issues provide the urge for this research.

1.3     Objectives of the Study

The objectives of this study are:

1. To identify the effort of local government authority in bringing about socio-economic development in Ibesikpo Asutan local government area.
2. To find out how Ibesikpo Asutan local government area mobilizes both human and material resources for the attainment of development in the area.
3. To identify the challenges faced by Ibesikpo Asutan local government area in attaining development in the area.
4. To identify ways of tackling the challenges confronting Ibesikpo Asutan local government area.
5. To make recommendations from the findings reached in this study.

1.4     Research Questions

1. What are the effort of local government authority in the socio-economic development of Ibesikpo Asutan local government area?
2. What are the strategies used by Ibesikpo Asutan local government council in mobilizing human and material resources for the attainment of development in the area?
3. What are the challenges faced by Ibesikpo Asutan local government area in attaining development in the area.
4. What are the possible ways of tackling the challenges confronting Ibesikpo Asutan local government area?

1.5     Scope of the Study

Although development is seen in different perspectives such as human development, socio-economic development. This study covers the socio-economic development of Ibesikpo local government area.

1.6     Significance of the Study

1. It is believed that this research work will be beneficial to the local authority in identifying the local government problem and possible ways of tackling then.
2. This work will help Ibesikpo Asutan local government authority to k now ways of mobilizing both human and material resources towards the development of the area.
3. This research work will also serve as a reference materials for other researchers.

1.7     Limitation of the Study

In the preparation of this research work, various problems were encountered and the study was limited by the following factors.

1. Financial factor: The cost of travelling from one place to another in gathering of information affect the researcher as there was no adequate fund.
2. Time factor: There was limited time for the collection of enough information for the projects, couples with other academic activities.
3. Inability of some local government workers to provide information because they were afraid of using the information against them.

1.8     Definition of Terms

Development: According to Nwankwo (2009), development refers in general to change that is continually taking place in man and his physical, social, cultural and other environment. This change may be beneficial or sometimes detrimental to human survival.

Rural Development: Maboguje (1980:30) opines that rural development is concerned with the improvement of the living rural standards of the low income people living in the rural area on a self sub straining basis through transforming the socio-spatial structures of their productive activities. It implies a broad based reorganization and mobilization of rural masses and resources so as to enhance the capacity of the rural populace to cope effectively with the daily tasks of their lives and with the changes consequent upon this.

Grassroots: This can be defined as the group of people at the local level that seek for the community development for the betterment of their lives.

Community: This can be defined as a group of people living together in a given geographical area that practice common ownership.

Administration: Administration can be defined as the arrangement of task needed to control the operation of organization.