CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Beginning from the early 19505 various models have been used in governing of local communication in our country. Among the models which had at one time been adopted for all or some parts of the country includes: the guardian native authority system the American council manager model and divisional administrative system . these various system were however abolished following the 1976 nation –wide local government by general murtala mohammed (the then head of state). This reform for first time introduced a uniform, one tier, all purpose local government system across the country. It was meant to correct the well known defeats of the previous system such as; lack of autonomy, encroachments, upon local government function by state governments, inadequate funding and lack of adequate qualified man power, how staffing morale and decreasing productivity.
The local government institution is perhaps the oldest formal institution nearest to the ordinary Nigeria, especially since the official colonial imposition of 1900. in historical discourse which performs primary public functions closest to the people. It is therefore a primary channel through which the citizens participate in the governance of the society.
Essentially, the essence political participation Nigerian is therefore to give the broad mass of Nigerian people the opportunity to get involved in duties and privileges of the democratic process and thereby establishing a new political order capable of ensuring the following
a Justice.
B Create orientation, awareness and political mobilization.
C Opportunity for the people to participate in the decision making process and a new social and on equitable distribution of national resources and opportunities.
All these require that people select and control their political authority created at the local community level to serve the needs and the interest of the local people. It is designed to bring government thus Oyediram view local government, as “government in which popular participation. Both in choice of decision makers and in the bodies which while recognizing the supremacy of the central government is able and willing to accept responsibility for its decision local government posses characteristics which put it in an appropriate position to serve as a means for social mobilization. In the first, it is government that is nearest to the people and has face- to –face relation ship with the people, As the government is nearer to the people, it possesses the first hand knowledge and feet’s the most impact, of the people’s needs and as privations.
Accordingly the political Bureau report correctly observed that “a government operating at the local government level is more likely to be attuned to the needs of the people”.
Secondly, sine local government is generally community based, there is a greater sense of we feeling among the people of the greater sense of we feeling among the people of the local area.
This sense of we feeling fosters commitment to common cause that makers the mobilization of the people to participate in politics possible.
Thirdly since local government is based on small units of local communications upon whom political powers, it engenders greater participation of local people in the management of their affair.
This principal of the local government reform of 1976 which among its objectives of the local government reform of 1976 which among its objectives are to facilitate the exercise of democratic self government close to the local level of our resources through the involvement of the members of the public in their development activities.
Fourthly, the local government as a creature of the central (state) government, can be employed to achieve the ideological purposes of the state system at the grass roots level. It was argued that since local government is located in areas of local isolation and traditionalism requiring a high level of political socialization it’s role in social mobilization is considered to be crucial and pivotal.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
statistically stated, it is an established fact that about 70 percent of the Nigeria population live in the rural areas hence the grassroots. Given the scope of the study, this percentage of our population have under a measure of neglect which today is a source of concern. Over the years tiers of government have been emerged as a consequence of the evolution of the political process in Nigeria. This can be traced through the colonial independence era and the post independence era. The evolution of these tiers of government has engendered political participation with both positive and negative consequences. Some scholars view political participation as an out growth of the evolution of local government in Nigeria, others view it as a consequences of government actions or polities on then trends of the political system.
Others view political participation as an out growth of military involvement and civil life. These over the nature of local government with regard to the character of political participation. The impact of the local government on grassroots democracy has not been facilitated and given greater emphasis the local government according to John stuart mill is justified as an integral part of democracy.
This paper is therefore an attempt to access the roles played by local government in the democratization process aimed at re-adjusting the organization structure and institution and then making the ordinary man at local government to participate more in political processes it is also an attempt to access the collective role expected of the people at the local government in the democracy as a means of achieving this adjustment.
For a more critical analysis of this research sine research question shall with the topic.
These research problem therefore necessitated the following research questions.
a To what extent does the activities of local government affect the peoples political participation.
b How has he role played by local government in integrating the rural population into the political process engendered political participation.
C what possible alternatives exist to ensuring political participation in the political system
d To what extent has the application of local government democracy influenced people participation in democratic process?
e To what extent has the application of grassroots democracy influence people participation in democratic process?
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
our aim in this paper is to discover why it is important to strive to achieve a high degree of grassroots democracy in Nigeria. My explanation will start by stating that the concept of “grassroots” very of my establishment is the based upon which it stands. If the root remains the ultimate condition for the survival of the grass.