Factors
militating the transformation of Nkweme local Government
Department
of Public Administration
ABSTRACT
The research topic
Local Government as an agent of Rural Development is centered on the strategy
to improve the economic and social well-being to the people who are mostly
poor. The man aim of this research work is to examine and evaluate the
challenges of rural development which are enormous ranging from poor
leadership, illiteracy, and unemployment adequate health facilities etc. this project
formulated hypothesis that were tested an funding analyzed, recommendations
made to tackled these challenges. This project work was carried out in Nkwerre
Local Government Area of Imo State, the researcher found out that in spite of
the concentration of the people living in this Local Government, in some parts.
People are still living in high rate of poverty; low standard of living etc.
earlier noted that bad leadership coming from the local government Authority
has been the major problem and hindrance of the growth of rural development.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Title page
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgment
Abstract
Table of content
CHAPTER
ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1
Descriptive background to the study
1.2
Statement of the Problem
1.3
Objectives of the study
1.4
Study Questions
1.5
Significance of the study
1.6
Scope of study
1.7
Definition of terms
CHAPTER
TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODOLOGY
2.1
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.2
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
2.21 The evolution of Local Government
2.22 Local Government as a third tier of government
2.23 Theoretical framework
2.24 Hypothesis
2.3
METHODOLOGY
2.3.1
Area of study and population
2.3.2
Sampling procedure
2.3.3
Instrumentation
2.3.4
Data collection
2.3.5
Method of Data Analysis
2.3.6
Limitation of study
CHAPTER
THREE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS AND PRESENTATION OF DATA
3.1
Discussion
3.2
Data Presentation
3.3
Analysis of Data
CHAPTER
FOUR: SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
4.1
Summary
4.2
Conclusion
4.3
Recommendation
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Descriptive
Background of study
One
of the greatest challenge that Nigeria has had since independence is developing
her rural sector. This has become so crucial that it became a prominent feature
on the development agenda of successive government in Nigeria emphasis in
developing the rural sector are triggered for two important reason.
(1)
Over 80% of Nigerians love on the rural
environment.
(2)
Majority of these people are poor and live
in a rather tombie conditions (Ekpo 1991) Rural development is often perceived
by the federal government as a strategy design not only to improve the socio
economic life of the rural people but also as a first step towards developing
the nation.
At least
on the level of meteoric, the pursuit of rural development programmes has
received priority attention of the various post colonial governments. These
programmes have had the common goal of ostensibly aim at the transformation and
modernization of areas. Nigeria has so far experimental wit various rural
development programmes including.
i)
Farm settlement scheme for school leavers.
ii)
Plantation agricultural development by various
development boards.
iii)
Operation feed the Nation
iv)
River Basin and Rural Development
Authorities.
v)
National Green Revolutions
vi)
The World Bank Assisted Agricultural
Development Programmes.
vii) Directorate
of Food, Roads and Rural infrastructures.
viii)
Better life for Rural Women
ix)
Family support programmes etc.
Although
these programmes testify to the priority attention that rural development has
received in Nigeria, experience so far demonstrate that rather transform and
modernize rural areas in a significant manner, the various programmes have
contrary to their objectives, continued to impoverish and underdeveloped the
rural areas, leaving the silent majority (over 80% of total population) who
reside there as victim of neglect, deprivations and exploitation.
Local
Government as a third tier of government is saddled with the responsibility of
transforming rural areas into comfortable and habitable hamlets in the rural
dwellers on Nigeria. Hence, local Government have undergone several reforms on
order to make them development oriented. It is an incontestable fact that
poverty, diseases, hunger, illiteracy, insufficiency infrastructural amenities
etc. characterize rural areas in Nigeria.
It is
against this background that local growing recognition of the significance of
local government as an agent of rural development and contributes in no little
measure to the overall economics, social and political development of a nation.
In
Nigeria, history has shown that our rural communities had for generations
succeeded in organizing themselves to provide food shelter, build roads,
schools, medical centers for local government to participate activity in rural
development, it’s imperative for it to bring itself down to the level of rural
dwellers in order to identify itself with the problems and aspirations of the
people with the aim of finding lasting solutions to their problems.
Despite
the (1976) local Government Reforms and its objectives to bring about
development which have prove abortive. Babangida regime was even wise enough to
introduce DFRRI so as to effect development of the grassroots, but despite all
its objectives and aims, it failure out –numbered it achievements. Development
in Nigeria, particularly rural development is always, hindered by lack of
comprehensive development planning, constant changes in government and a lack
of acceptable and decent revenue allocation and sharing formula. All these have
hindered the efficient and effective development programmes various administrations. The local government
in Nigeria is aimed at extending development to the grassroots by improving the
quality of life of the rural dwellers by providing the people with good roads,
portable water, electricity improved agricultural facilities and community
banking. Such provisions would not only raise the standard of living of the
rural people but will also check rural – urban migration.
1.2 Statement of the problem
In epistemic terms, the establishment of
local Government structures in Nigeria was predicated on the view that Local
Government were to serve as apparatus or
vehicles for transforming the lives of majority of Nigerians who live in the
rural communities, it was as conceived as a bottom up approach to national
development. In this regard, many communities. The expectations among other
things was that it brought governance nearer to the people and could from that
standpoint transform the lives of the rural dwellers.
It was in line with this vision that
Nkwere local Government was created following the (1976) Local Government
reform. Federal government had in the past undertaken sweeping local government
reforms with the aim of repositioning local governments to more proactive in
their service delivery so that these agents could catalyze development in their
communities in particular and in Nigeria as a whole. In the case of Nkwerre, it
was blessed with abundant natural and human resources fertile lands and cheap
labour. The expectations were that these two all important factors of
production could serve as a catalyst to development and thus reduce the misery
and suffering the people.
Fortunately, Nkwerre local Government
Area has been transform though not 100% as expected, but the poverty level has
reduced a little, medical facilities made available for dwellers, good motorable
road from the local Government headquarters to the other villages most of the
infrastructural among the wards of the local area are a way something to write
come about. But even at this with the aim of the 1976 reform aimed at changing
t he local government, it is said that Nkwerre Local Government Area is way
behind expectation. Most people on the local Government are experiencing
poverty though not chronic but their standard of living can be seen as below
expectation.
The crucial question we all ask, and
which is the focus of this study is “what are those factors that have meleleted
against the transformation of the local Government?. Could it be that funds are
not available? Could it be that programmes and policies did not target the
attended rural areas? Is it that there is a general bad administration in the
local Government? These are some of the questions this study hall attempt.
1.3 Objectives
of study
The broad objective of this study remains
to find what factors militate against the transformation of Nkweme local
Government However, the specific objectives are:
i) To
determine whether or not lack of funds has been a major handicap on the
development of Nkewme local Government Area?
ii) To
determine government policy and programmes actually targeted to those who were
expected to benefit from those programmes
iii) To
determine the role federal and state government have played on the
transformation.
iv) To make
useful suggestions that may serve as solutions to the problems identified.
1.4
Study
Question
The
study question for this research are:
(1)
To what extent has the local Government in
Nigeria and Nkwerre in particular contributed to rural development?
(2)
What positive impact has Nkwerre Local
Government Area made in the National development efforts?
(3)
Is the creation of Nkwerre Local Government
Area an automatic answer to the problem of rural development?
These study questions are imperative in the
research project as they direct the focus and the rhythm of the project. They also form a point of reference upon
which the whole write-up will be based on.
1.5 Significance
of the study
1) It will
enrich literatures on development theory especially theory on local government
Administration and rural development
2) The
information provided in this study may serve as a guide to provide to policy
makers especially especially those incharge of local government development
asses. By reading through this work, these policies may have first hand into
and can over haul their policy in line with available data.
3) It will
bring to light, the understanding, misunderstanding and misapplication of the
strategy of rural development though the introduction of local government
administration in Nigeria
4) The
literature review also exposes the researcher to many issues and widens his
horizon on issues relating to development and under development.
5) It will suggest ways of achieving a meaningful rural
development through the assistance of the local government Authority in
Nigeria.
1.6 Scope of Study
This
research work is focused on local Government as an agent of rural development
in Nigeria and has narrowed the scope to Nkwerre Local Government Area in Imo
State. It confirmed with the limit of the constraints of local government
demonstration on relation to rural development. The study highlights the
problem of local government administration and possibly its prospects for rural
transformation. This investigation was
only limited to Nkwerre Local Government:
(1)
Lack of sufficient time
(2)
Lack of funds
(3)
Poor road network in area of case study.
(4)
Acute transportation difficulties as a
result of high cost fuel prices.
1.7
Definition of terms
The following concepts are carefully defined
for the purpose of the study:
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY
This is seen as the third tier of government
it is also a group of elected officials who are directly responsible to the
management of staff, materials and resources of the local Area designed as
such.
RURAL DWELLERS
These are group of people with a population
of about fifty thousand people or below. The man features of rural people are
depression degradation, deprivation. Many rural people are embodiment of
poverty, diseases and starvation.
DEVELOPMENT
According to Advanced learners dictionary
development is the process of producing or creating new or more advance,
stronger etc in this context, development is the process of attaining a high
standard of economic growth, accompanied by the undividuals to utilize such
resources around their environment.
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Rural development is a strategy designed
to improve the economic and social life of the people in the rural area. The
main concern in rural development is suppose to be the modernization of rural
society through a transition from traditional isolation to intergration wit the
national economy for equitable and balanced development of the nation