CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

        The topic of this study is specially designed to enable us examine the challenge of local government administration in Nigeria and also to pin-point those barriers hindering the effective administration of local governments

        These have been much emphasis on effective local government administration in Nigeria. This is due to the awareness of the critical role local government can play in stimulation cruel development. It is also behave that since the government is now brought close to the people , their development process can be made easy and as such development will be facilitated at this level by the local government.

        In all the attempt at rural transformation in Nigeria, there has been emphasis on working through existing local authorities the 1979 and 1989 constitutions of the federal republic of Nigeria empowered local government to provide certain basic services.

        Despite the changes in all those reforms and local authorities there has not been any meaningful solutions to these problems but rather the problems more compounded.

        Local government is grassroots government by authors and bodies. Maddick (1963) defines local government as a sub-unit of government controlled by a local council which is authorized by the central government to pass ordinance having a local application levy taxes or exact labour and within limit specified by the central government, vary centrally decided policy in applying it locally

        The Nigeria local government reform document of 1976 defines local government as government at local level exercised by representative council, established by law to exercise specific power  within defined areas.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

        Local government is an indispensable element in the governing of the country and also a provider and administration of basic services.

        However on the recent years there has been a general consensus by the people that local government administration in Nigeria is faced with various problems such as lack of funds, corruption, multiplicity of functions, misappropriate of funds, political instability politics etc, all these drawn my attention to this research topic.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The major objective of this study is to  explore the challenges of local government administration in Nigeria. Other objectives are :

    i.        To find out if the multiplicity of functions assigned to local government hinder the effectiveness of local governments.

  ii.        To examine whether lack of funds is responsible for the inefficiency in the administration of local governments in Nigeria.

iii.        To investigate whether the interference from higher government is responsible for the inefficiency in the administration of local government.

 iv.        To suggest a possible solution to the above problems mentioned

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The research questions to this study are:

    i.        Are the multiplicity of functions assigned to Obowo Local Government the challenges the local government is facing?

  ii.        Do you mean that lack of funds responsible for the inefficiency of the local Government?

iii.        Do the higher government (federal government) interference hinder the smooth administration of local government?

 iv.        Would you say that corrupt practices negatively affect the administrations of local government/

1.5 STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS

HYPOTHESIS I

 Ho: The interference of federal government does not affect the smooth administration of local government

Hi: The interference of federal government affect the smooth administration of local government in Nigeria.

HYPOTHESIS II

Ho: Lack of funds is not responsible for the inefficiency in the administration of Obowo Local Government Area.

Hi: Lack of funds is responsible for the inefficiency in the administration of Obowo Local Government Area.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

        The study focuses on the challenges of the smooth administration of local government in Nigeria. The case study is narrowed to Obowo Local government council, Imo state. The study also covers areas, such as the historical development of local government in Nigeria, theoretical basis of local government and local government council procedure

1.7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

        The major significant of this study is that it will enable the public to know the challenges facing the administration of local government in Nigeria.

Another significant is that study will serve as source of reference to any researcher who may have and in-depth interest in the research topic

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

        In the case of this study , some challenges were encountered, some of these challenges are the challenges of combining the research work with other academic work, such as reading for test and examination, preparing not and writing of assignments.

1.9 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

Administration: Administration reject to a process that requires planning. Organizing, coordinating and controlling of both human and material resources in order to achieve a specific goal in any organization.

Government : Government is a body of person of machinery through which a state is government or controlled.

Local government: Local government is defined as a government of the local level which enable the local people to participate in the governance of themselves in a certain specific periphery.

Law: Local government law, 2000( as amended in 2002) and other statuses.

Majority leader : Leader of the party with majority seats on the floor of the council.

Procedure: Codified methods of deliberation, the conduct of a meeting in accordance with a set of rules or order.

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