FREQUENT CHANGES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION AS A BANE TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA (A CASE OF OWERRI WEST IN LOCAL GOVERNEMNT AREA).
ABSTRACT
For any organization to be productive, it must learn the effective usage of its man power. But research has shown that there is a serious decline in productivity and further quest into the reason for this drop revealed that the error is a wrong thinking and altitude. Because local government affaire do not take place in a vacuum. This wrong thinking and attitude often affects the planning, organizing staffing, coordinating and budgeting of the council. This research work x-rays the frequent changes in local government administration as a bane to rural development with reference to Owerri west local government area. This forms the basis of this research efforts geared towards injecting new ideas into local government administration and helping to solve problem arising from frequent regime changes. The objective of this research aims at how best to reduce the incidence of frequent changes in the administration of Owerri west local government which has always been a log to the wheels of development. Over the years Owerri west has been abandoned and left to not. These local government area suddenly became a town planner’s night more with blocked drainages and ubiquitous mountain of reuse here and there are as a result of the incessant changes in local government administration by successive state chief executives. Looking back at the course of history, we shall be going down a bloods tamed memory cane. For the 1970’s till now, government has raped the local people by their laisset falt administration. Having elected political representative it is expected that there should have been in existence functional structures or aims of government at local level through which he elected executive can make representations to state or federal government take decision at local level, implement existing policies make by- laws where and when necessary and take other necessary administrative steps to move the local government for ward but this is not the case as every polices and strategies. It is against this background that develo0pment at the local level continues to suffer a set back. To carry out this research work a sample size of 400 was made out of the population size of 300,500 questionnaires were made and distrusted to selected respondents when the data collected from the questionnaires were analyzed and presented in tables it was discovered that:
- development project are abandoned by successive administration in Owerri west local government area
- council members implement policies without operation guide but as they suit their personal interest.
- There is no genuine leader to pilot the affairs of the council.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page – – – – – –
Approval page- – – –
Dedication- – – – –
Acknowledgment- – – –
Abstract- – – – – –
Table of contents – – –
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction- – – – 1
1.1 Backgrounds to the study- 1-4
1.2 statement of problem- – 5
1.3 research question
1.4 Significance of study
1.5 scope of the study
1.7 limitation of study
1.8 Definitions of terms – – 9-10
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Literature review – – – – 12
2.1 Introductions – – – – – 12
2.2 1976 l0cal government reform – – – 12-15
2.3 local government as agent of grassroot development-15-2.4 local government administration and policy implementation in Owerri west local government area.- –
Reference – – – – – 31
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Research methodology – – – 32
3.1 introduction
3.2 Research Design- – – – 32-33
3.3 sources/ methods of data collection – – – –
3.4 population and sample size- – – 35-37
3.5 sample technique- – – 37
3.6 validity and reliability of measuring instrument
3.7 method of data analysis
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 Presentation and analysis of data- -38
4.1 introduction
4.2 presentation of data – – – – 38-42
4.3 analysis of data- – – – -43
4.4 test of Hypothesis
4.5 interpretations of result(s)
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 Summary, recommendation and conclusion
5.1 introduction
5.2 Conclusion – – – – – 49
5.3 Recommendations
Reference- – – – – 50-51
Appendix
Questionnaire.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY.
Local government by Its nature is an institution established or put in place to promote local politics. It is an organization through which political activities, information and awareness campaign are carried to the grassroots. It is also the political mouth piece of the rural man. The yearnings, needs and aspiration of the local people are conveyed to the state and central government through their various elected representatives.
To buttress the above assertions, the 1976 guideline for local government reform in Nigeria vividly defines local government as:
‘That government at the local level exercised through representative councils established by law to exercise specific powers within defined areas. These powers should give the council substantial control over local affairs as well as the staff and institutional and financial powers to Institute and direct the provision of services and to determine and Implement projects so as to complement the activities of the state and federal government in the areas so that the local initiative and response to local needs and conditions are maximized”.
When the above definition is examined, it implies that a local government is a representative government; a government empowered by law to undertake certain functions and established to implement developmental projects and policies that affect the rural people. The above definition is true because the existence of local government administration is aimed at the execution of developmental policies for the upliftment of the lives of the rural people (Nworji 2004).
In a similar vein, local government administration deals with the role of government in managing the affairs of the local people in a particular locality. It also entails making use of the available human materials and financial resources available to the local government to attend to and achieve stated need, aspiration, goals and objective of the individuals In the local community. Local government Is also a grassroots government which is established world over not Only for the purpose of authority maintenance, penetration of governance Into the rural areas, consolidation of rural loyalty, obedience, political support and commitment of the subjects to the government and state, but also for the realization of rural development goals, increased political participation of the rural people through their representatives who are elected and also for the contribution of the rural people to the decision making process on Issues that directly affects them. (Agoha 2OO4 273).
Ideally, local government involves both legislative and executive processes operating under democratic principle of popular participation of local people in the management of their affairs. On the other hand, local administration is a bureaucratic process aimed at the provision of local services. Local government administration therefore has to do with, authority to determine policies and execute them within a restricted area.
After Independence, the federal government knew that the establishment of local government was crucial for the development of rural communities. To this end, the number of local government areas in Nigeria increased so as to accelerate national development. To achieve this policy of national development, Owerri west was carved out from the former Owerri municipal council. Since her creation, Owerri west has been abandoned and left to not and decay by successive state chief executives.
Owerri west local government was created in 1996 with Its headquarters at Umuguma. The local government is made up of the following communities. Nekede,
Ihiagwa, Ezlobodo, Emeabiam, Avu, Ofurola, Irete, Okwukwu and Umuguma These areas have their peculiar problems some of which include bad roads, electricity, and dilapidated road Infrastructures, poor health care delivery services etc. These and many other problems are the challenges facing Owerri west since its creation. To this end, different administrations have tried to tackle this problem but the frequent changes in local government administration have always been a log to the wheels of development.
This situation explains why policy implantation In Owerri west ends abruptly as soon as there is a change in administration in Owerri west and new ones formulated to the neglect of old projects.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS
During the cause of this research, a handful of problems were discovered. These problems must not be treated with kid gloves if the federal and state government is really sincere about grassroots development, One of the problems identified was the diversion of statutory allocation into private accounts.
There is constitutional provision for the federal government to provide statutory allocation for the 774 local government areas In the country. This allocation is meant for developmental projects but one will continue to ask why nothing is being done despite this allocations. Every organization is expected to have control mechanisms especially as it concerns the use of scare financial resources in the execution of developmental projects. One is forced to ask to what extent is this mechanism employed In Owerri west local government financial management to ensure consistency in the use of statutory allocation for development.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This research is structured towards achieving the following purposes:
- to explain why there are frequent changes In Owerri west local government administration.
- how these Incessant changes Impedes development at grassroots level.
iii. to explain why new administration In Owerri west local government abandons the projects of their predecessors at the expense of the poor masses who elected them.
- To explain the need for policy continuity In the third tier of government.
1.4 REAESCH QUESTION
This research question work of this based on the of system theory. The system theory originated from DAVID EASTON who analyzed politics from the perfected of system.
The research sees policy as an out put of is conceived as the result of various environments various acted upon by the political system.
The research conserves political active environment consist of the objective, to
- examine how politics are formulated and implemented.
- How does the government formulated and implements policies.
iii. Is the cause of non-proper implementation of developmental policies in Owerri west local government area hinged on lack of revenue?
- Are these developmental policies in Owerri west local government area properly monitored?
FREQUENT CHANGES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION AS A BANE TO RURALDEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA (A CASE OF OWERRI WEST IN LOCAL GOVERNEMNT AREA).
