CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The idea of local government
administration in Nigeria has attracted serious attention both nationally and
internationally since the local government reform of 1976. Agagu, (2007),
viewed local government as a level of government which is supposed to have its
greatest impact on the people at the rural areas. It is a tier of government
which is closest to the citizenry and it is saddled with responsibility of
guaranteeing the political, social and economic development of its area and its
people (Enero, Oladoyin & Elumilade, 2009).
As a result of this development,
there has been growing recognition of the importance of rural development as an
instrument in the overall development of the contemporary developing world.
This is because of the glaring gap between the rural and urban areas in terms
of infrastructural, resources distribution, human resources development and
employment, which has made rural development imperative (Ogbazi, 1982 in Zakari
ya’u, 2014). This imbalance has subjected the rural areas to more disadvantaged
economic position. It has induced rural – urban migration, thereby, increasing
unemployment situation in the urban areas, while, simultaneously depriving the
rural areas of their agricultural workforce (Zakari ya’u, 2014).
The idea of local government is to
bring governance closer to people in the grassroots for participation in
governance, service delivery to enhance socio-economic development and good
governance (Ogunna, 2006 in Okoli, et al, 2015). But unfortunately today,
transparency and accountability in Nigerian local government is rhetoric, most
local government officials display provocative wealth gotten through criminal
institutionalized stealing and corrupt practices (Onah, 2010 in Okoli, et al,
2015).
The failure of local government in
the area of service delivery over the years has made the citizens to lose faith
and trust in local government administration as an institution in Nigeria.
From historical perspective, modern
local government administration in Nigeria can be traced to the British system
of local government. But it should be stated however, that local administration
did not start with the advent of British Administration in Nigeria, because
some forms of system of local government administration pre-dated the British
rule. Local government administration is one of man’s oldest institutions. The
earliest form of local governments’ administration existed in the form of clan
and village meetings. In fact, democracy itself originated and developed along
the lines of local governance initiative in the ancient Greek City States. It
should be noted however, that in other parts of the world, local governance was
developed along the people’s culture and expectations, and the system was tied
to the norms and practices of the people (Aghayere, 2007).
According to Gboyega, four points of
historical reference can be identified in the development of local government
administration in Nigeria. They are: (1) Colonial rule; (2) Local government
reforms in the East (1951) and West (1952) respectively; (3) The military coup
of 1966; and (4) The 1976 Local Government Reform (Gboyega as cited by
Aghayere, 2007 in Oviasuyi et al, 2010).
Local government administration in
Nigeria has undergone many changes of which the 1976
Reforms and the Constitutions of 1979
and 1999 can be said to be most prominent. Before 1976, local government
administration in Nigeria had passed through many changing environments and
this has in no small measure influenced its development. Again, the 1976 Local
Government Reforms brought watershed in local government system; the reform
brings unified structure and makes local government bedrock for development in
the rural area (Agagu, 2009; Ajayi, 2005).
The reform was a major departure from
the previous practice of local government administration in Nigeria. The
philosophical basis of the reform lies in the conviction that a strong local
authority with clearly defined functional responsibilities in a power-sharing
relationship with the states is an institutional safeguard against tyranny.
Following the 1976 reforms, local government became recognized as a tier of
government entitled to a share of national revenue consequent on its
constitutionally allocated functions (Imuetinyan 2007 in Oviasuyi et al, 2010)
The provisions of the 1976 reform
document were incorporated into the 1979 Constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria. Section 7(1) of the constitution provides that “the government of
every state shall ensure their existence under a law which provides for the
establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of such councils”
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1979).
The power of the state government
over local authorities has been wrongly applied to undermine elected and
participatory governance and responsibility at the grassroots, and this has
made operation of the constitution questionable. The situation of local
government administration under the 1999 Constitution is also very confusing
and complex. Although, the 1999 Constitution also guarantees the existence of a
democratically elected local government system, it however, like the 1979
Constitution, gives the states the responsibility to handle issues of
organization and structure (Oviasuyi et al, 2010).
As a result of this development, most
of the rural areas in Nigeria are in a pathetic state of development, even,
some of the urban local government areas are also deficient in development.
Some of these infrastructures where available, are left uncared for. The
implication of this is that local governments in Nigeria have been consistent
over the years in their failure to enhance their capacity to engage and
mobilize human resources towards their needs. Local roads are left unrepaired,
rural electricity are in state of dilemma, rural health centres are dilapidated
with absence of drugs and necessary health personnel, rural boreholes and water
pumps have no water, rural water scheme/projects are deserted (Tolu, 2014).
Oyo state, is not an exception, the
period under review 2008-2018, Musa (2011) asserts that local level has turned
into a care-taker imposed by state governments. In some cases, care-takership
is perpetuated if the outright denial of democratic local government through
care-taker committees demonstrates increase in authoritarian holds on the
councils by state governors, the case of where elections hold does not give
cause for cheers (Okoli, et al, 2015). That is why in Oyo state, each time a
governor assumes office, his first official function will be the dissolution or
re-constitution of local government officials whether elected or appointed to
secure grassroots support by hook or crook (The nation, 2012 in Okoli, et al,
2015). Many argued that the poor performance of local governments in Nigeria is
due to state and local government joint account. Many state governors and state
assembly members handle local government as if they are not constitutionally
guaranteed democratic elected officials (Mark in Okoli et al, 2015). Again, as
a result of joint account, most local government chairmen always complain of
shortage of funds released to them, due to the interference of state government
in their affairs as orchestrated by governors (FRN in Okoli et al, 2015).
Generally, as regards to rural development, the following areas (economic
sector, health sector, provision of essential amenities, agricultural sector,
general security, industrialization, education sector, transportation and
communication sector) have been affected by some of these issues stated above
and these areas are the primary assignment of local government but instead of
performing as expected, end up doing little.
For instance, it is noteworthy that
most of the road networks in rural areas in Oyo state and Nigeria at large are
maintained through community efforts. This cannot really be effective as the
contemporary road development needs of the rural areas are such that mere
community efforts cannot adequately address. There is too, very apparently,
poor quality education in most rural areas (Ele, 2011; Ijere ,2012) note in
this respect too that rural education is characterized by limited functional or
work oriented education and disdain for handicraft and technical subjects.
Okoli and Onah (2007) make similar observation as they note thus: The privilege
of education which, for instance, is supposed to be a birth right of every
Nigerian child is an illusion to many poor rural dwellers. In some places,
there are no schools at all while in some others the schools are shabby,
ill-equipped and poorly staffed.
Oyo rural areas is equally
characterized by apparent lack of health institutions as there are hardly any
well-equipped hospital health centres, clinics and maternal homes. Onah and
Okoli (2007) observe similarly that in most rural areas in Oyo and Nigeria at large,
no medical institution of any sort exists at all and that where they do, the
people have to travel very long distances to access them.
Water supply in the rural areas has
also been discovered to be grossly inadequate and with the spread of water borne
disease increased by the accompanying poor sanitary conditions (Ele, 2011;
Abah, 2010) observe too that, rural areas in Oyo state is also characterized by
depressingly meager annual per capital income, poor liveable houses and various
forms of social and political isolation. In summary, there is apparent lack of
development in the rural areas in Oyo state as reflected in the near total lack
of basic infrastructure, and social services. In Oyo state of Nigeria, for
instance, a survey of the development needs of the 471 communities in the state
as at 2009 revealed that 385, 342 and 304 rural communities lack access to
accessible road, portable water/borehole and cottage hospitals respectively
(Oyo state, 2009).
However, good local government
administration cannot be underestimated towards rural development in Oyo state.
Thus, this paper was embarked upon to establish the nexus between Local
Government and Rural Development in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Oyo
State.
1.2 Statement
of Problem
Local government is expected to
become more meaningful in facilitating rural development at the grassroots
level. The merit in involving the local communities’ inhabitants as a focal
point of good governance in the local government administration is that they serve
as a point of contact between the local government and the grassroots (Okafor,
2002 in Zakari ya’u, 2014). Communities in Nigeria in the past have maintained
a strong tradition in the area of self-help projects (Okafor, 2004 in Zakari
ya’u, 2014).
Basic facilities such as roads,
bridges, markets, health institutions, primary and post-primary institutions
have been provided in different parts of the country through self-help
development programmes. According to Okafor (2004), communities have the capacity
to respond to specific local development plans, mobilize their resources in a
collective way, adjust their organizations to the required needs and devise
their own appropriate management rules to cope with the situation (Okafor,
2004).
Regrettably, the realization of these
objectives has been constrained by a number of issues confronting local
government development in Oyo state which are as follows: Joint account system,
corruption, state interference, loss of autonomy, caretaker ship, poor
commitment and poor funding.
Furthermore, in the key areas
according to the four point agenda of local government administration, the
health centers in most local government is to say the least deplorable. There
is abject nonexistence of drugs, medical equipment and manpower.
In the case of essential amenities,
basic social amenities as road, electricity, water and recreational facilities
are very much lacking in the local government across the state. In the area of
agriculture, majority of the rural dwellers depend on this sector but
mechanization of the sector remains at a low ebb.
Again, in the area of education, this
is an indispensable index of development but much has not been done by
successive administrations to provide functional qualitative education to the
rural dwellers.
1.3 Objectives
of Study
In a broad view, this study seeks to
look at the role of local government in rural development in Ibadan North Local
Government Area. But, being specific, the objective comprises of the following:
i.
To assess the role of the local government administration in
rural development in Ibadan North Local Government Area;
ii.
To investigate whether job creation and provision of
infrastructures by the government led to prevention of rural-urban migration in
Ibadan North Local Government Area;
iii.
To find out the relationship between governments budgetary
allocation and rural development in Ibadan North Local Government Area.
1.4
Research Question
i.
What role did local government administration played towards
rural development in Ibadan North Local Government Area?
ii.
Did job creation and provision of infrastructures by the
government led to stoppage of rural-urban migration in Ibadan North Local
Government Area?
iii.
To what extent does government’s budgetary allocation address
rural development in Ibadan North Local Government Area?
1.5 Statement of Hypotheses
The following
hypotheses are formulated for the study:
Hypothesis One
H0: Local government
does not play significant role towards rural development in Ibadan North Local
Government Area.
H1: Local government
play significant role towards rural development in Ibadan North Local
Government Area.
Hypothesis Two
H0: Job creation and
provision of infrastructures by the government does not prevent migration in
Ibadan North Local Government Area.
H1: Job creation and
provision of infrastructures by the government help to prevent migration in
Ibadan North Local Government Area.
Hypothesis Three
H0: Government’s
budgetary allocation does not address rural development in Ibadan North Local
Government Area.
H1: Government’s
budgetary allocation addresses rural development in Ibadan North Local
Government Area.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study has both
theoretical and practical significance. Theoretically, the study provides a
theoretical framework for the understanding of the role of local government in
rural development in Nigeria. Therefore considering the pivotal role of local
government in development in general, such information will be of immense help
for policy formulation on the development of grassroots. The result of the
study will equally be of help to other researchers who may want to research on
such topic or related topics on development in the academia in the future.
On the practical
significance, the study will draw attention of, and enlighten both the
stakeholders and those who implement policies on rural development in Nigeria
who may not really understand the central role of rural development on the
crucial and inescapable role of local government system. As a result, the rural
dwellers will endeavour to participate fully in grassroots democratization and
development, while those who implement policy on development in Nigeria will
become dedicated to policy formulation, recommendations and implementation.
1.7 Scope of the Study
This study covered the critical analysis of the role
of local government in rural development. The scope of this study is limited to
the operation of Ibadan North Local Government Area, Oyo State for the period
of 2008 – 2018
1.8 Limitations of the Study
In carrying out this
study, these limitations were encountered by the researcher:
i.
Time: Time will limit the conduct of this study and
this has impact on the sample study and the questionnaire. If enough time is on
the side of the researcher, this study would have chosen more organization in
different sectors of the economy for study.
ii.
Financial Constraints: The researcher was faced with
financial constraints which had far reaching effect on the running around for
questionnaire, obtain necessary information and cost typing and binding the
project since only the researcher will bear the cost of getting the research
done.
iii.
Lastly some of the respondent will not
give the right information.
1.9 Definition of Terms
Rural Development:
Rural development in accordance to Ayodele (2007) is a strategy which is
designed to bring about an improvement in the social and economic life of the
rural communities. Furthermore, Ekong (2008) defines rural development as a
vital in the general process of rural development. It entrances prompt delivery
of inputs to farmers and evacuation of farms produce to market. He also defines
rural development as a process of which a set of technical, social-economic
condition in order to achieve harmony and balance both on the regional and
national levels (Ekong, 2008).
Rural
Dwellers:
Rural dwellers are the people living in the remote areas of a country and lack
basic infrastructure like good road network, pipe borne water, electricity,
good health facility etc. The term refers to the ordinary people who are far
from political decision making process at the centre. These groups includes
small scale farmers, tenants, etc who seek livelihood in the rural areas.
Local
Government: According to Remi A. (2013), local government is a political
division of nation (or in a federal system, a state) which is constituted by
law and has substantial control of local affairs, including the power to impose
taxes or exact labour for prescribes or otherwise locally selected. Oxford Concise
Dictionary of politics (2014) define local government as a governing
institution which has authority over a sub-national territorially defined area,
in federal systems a sub-state territorially defined area.
Development:
The
concept of development has different meanings for different people. For the
purpose of this research, we view development as a process of societal
transformation from a state of underdevelopment, to a state of growth, progress
and fulfillment where the basic needs of life such as food, shelter, clothing,
health, education, transportation, water, etc are met with no constraints.
Integrated
Rural Development: Aminuzzaman (2008) in Ayodele (2007) defines it as a new and
complex organization innovation in which aims to serve target population
through multi-agency efforts and in which heterogeneous technologies several
sources and collective initiatives are required to attain its broad goals.
