CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The history of local government is closely tied up with the history of British colonialism in the country. It represented a system of indirect rule, which aimed at establishing a form of local Administration through traditional authorities.According to the 1979 National Guideline on local Government Reforms defined Local Government as:“Government at the grassroots level exercised through representative councils, established by law to exercised specific powers within defined area”.
The united nation office of public administration defines local government as:-“A political sub-division of a nation which is constituted by law and has substantial control of local affairs including the power to impose taxes or to ax act labour for prescribed purpose”. Ola F.R. (1987).The native authorities provided a form of stable local government which strengthened the base of the colonial government.It is worthy of note, that no central government can successfully carry on administration. Wholly from the capital trough the civil servants of the headquarters. In the light of this, the need for a form of decentralization such that will enable the government to reach out to the people at the grassroots level became necessary.
From the point of view, it could be inferred that local governments are expected to bring political and economic changes to the majority of Nigerian who are residing at the local government areas. But what is the position today?It is expected role of economic and social transformation of local government that necessitated the decision of federal government of Nigeria to increase the share of local government in federal account from 10% to 20% in addition to their internally generated revenue to make them financially viable.The unwarranted financial interference of state government coupled with the corrupt activities of elected and appointed chairman of local government, who have but locked the local government treasury, without carrying out even a single capital project for the benefit of the community in the past four years, have brought local government administrations in Nigeria to their knees.This term paper is aimed at finding out new and improve revenue items other than the conventional ones, thus empowering the local government councils with more fund to project implementation.
These new revenue items will replace the statutory allocations to the local governments when our oil wells dry up. So that the statutory functions of paying salaries and other overhead costs, in addition to other developments at the grass root will be achieved.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The problem is how to generate enough internally generated revenue in Enugu State Local Government councils to provide food, drinking water and decent accommodation for people. The provision of good roads, health facilities and educational infrastructures are paramount. The inability of the 17 local governments in Enugu State to provide employment, security, social welfare services and infant any meaningful development at the grassroots inspite of hug monthly allocations made to them, is now a source of great concern to all well meaning Nigerians and the federal government to as the non performance of local government as a third tier of government. The continue looting of local government funds by the chairmen and other statutory officers is a key issue to the problem.