Local Government as Agent of Political Mass Mobilization in Nigeria
Chapter One
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
What constitute the driving motives behind the research are;
- To underscore the importance of active political mobilization in the development of any policy.
- To find out what hinders the people of Udung Uko local government area and the entire Nigerian from being actively mobilized for effective participation in the policies of their country.
- To look into certain ways in which the government, groups and individual can help to improve the level of political mobilization in the politics and administration of their country.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
Elections in Nigeria has always been a recurrent theme in most political discourse. Negative connotations are often used to describe it as a do or die affair, already jinxed, rigged before they occurred and characterized by large scale malpractices, including rigging at all levels. These unequivocal descriptions attached to the conduct of elections in Nigeria keep on degenerating from bad to worse. Local government election serves as an avenue through which people participate in governance. This is done through participation in the electoral processes and decision making in the local communities. Therefore, it serves as a medium through which free, fair and credible election will go a long way in institutionalizing democracy. However, the case of Nigeria is different, due to the failure to guarantee transparent and credible elections at all levels in the country since independence.
Participation in Elections in Nigeria is characterized by machine politics which “involves the parceling out of parts of the State including territories to individuals, usually under the leadership of one or two notables … who maintain their prebends essentially by force” (Ibeanu 2007 p9). Ibeanu further asserts that under such circumstances, elections give rise to the primitive accumulation of votes, which he refers to as the “winning of votes by both objective and structural violence and disregard for the rule of law” (Ibeanu 2007 p6). In this kind of environment, there is usually sustained rigging which ensures that votes do not count and voters are not counted (Jinadu 2007; Mohammed 2007), leading to the lack of credible elections.
Constitutionally, Local government represents the third tier of governmental organization in Nigeria – the others being the Federal and State governments. Frequently, the term “Grassroots administration” is employed as this has the additional advantage of graphically describing the location of this governmental arrangement. In reality, it is not vested with the powers and resources that it deserves. It is also ironical that the Nigerian situation negates the essence of federalism (which is decentralization) by being highly centralized. Elsewhere, where the ideals and strategies for effective development have been understood the correct way, Local government is the focus of government efforts at promoting development. It becomes obvious overtime that to effectively develop, the people must be adequately mobilized. A purposeful combination of the local (peoples) effort/energies with that of government with the objective of improving socio-economic conditions and encouraging political participation is a key factor in rural development.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
This chapter deals with the method used in collecting data required in carrying out this research work it explains the procedures that were followed and the instrument used in collecting data.
SOURCES OF DATA COLLECTION
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
- Primary source and
- Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment, the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information for the study Local Government as agent of political mass mobilization in Nigeria. The population of study shall comprise of a random selection of 200 men, women and youth from 18 years of age and above from Udung Uko local government area in Akwa Ibom State as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
INTRODUCTION
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analyzing the data obtained.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
INTRODUCTION
It is pertinent to note that this research was aimed at cross examining the contribution of mobile phones in political campaigns, thus the topic “the impact of mobile telephone on political mobilization in Nigeria”.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges associated with mobile phones and political campaigns in Nigeria.
SUMMARY
The study attempted to identify the role or place of local government in political mass mobilization from the perspective of being the closest tier of government to the people. It is obvious from the arrangement and federal practice in Nigeria that local governments are emasculated and have not been effectively positioned to place its constitutional roles, let alone play the roles it should in political mass mobilization.
It can be seen from the above discussions and analyses that election in Nigeria is often marred with irregularities especially the one conducted at the local government levels to the extent that the outcome usually reflects the wishes of the political party vis-a-vis governors that formed government at the state levels.
Still in the same vein the study revealed that, there is danger in Nigeria’s democracy as the will of the people is always manipulated and pushed aside in the quest for power and selfish interest. This is evidenced in proven cases of making the conduct of local government elections at the mercy of the state governors within their respective states.
CONCLUSION
The Local government as the third tier government in the Nigerian federation was born out of the clear need to better the lots of local citizens in the country. As an agent of transformation, it has unarguably gone through much process that has placed it on the part of growth and sustainable development in Nigeria through political movements. However, its strength lies on the leadership of the country from the Executive (Presidency) to the Legislature (National Assembly) down to the Judiciary. These public officials should ensure that the laws governing the Local government should be in the exclusive list and not con current list that allows the State governments to lay claim over this level of government and the laws been made be strictly enforced and offenders be slammed with the instrument of law. Since the Local governments are given essential services to provide for the people, efforts should be made to ensure that the funds meant for these purposes be released in time and channeled to the appropriate quarters. A well packaged and articulate plan for Local government in the country would reduce criminality, unemployment, rural-urban drift and encourage economic, agricultural growth and political education attained.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The researcher recommend the following based on the findings of the study;
- Government should ensure that the electoral body at the grass root level is independent and credible in discharging their responsibilities without interference in whatever form political, economic or otherwise.
- Government should put in place appropriate sanctions on election related cases without fear or favour.
- Government should change the mindset of the political parties and their respective governors toward the conduct of any elect at the local government levels.
- There should be need by the government to strengthen the economic and sociopolitical capacity of the citizens. This is to say the dividend of democracy should be seen and actualized.
- Government should come up with a reorientation programme aim at changing the negative mind set accorded to election at whatever levels in Nigeria.
REFERENCES
- Aborishade, F. (2006), „‟ A Case for Credible Elections in Nigeria: Proposed Agenda for Electoral Refom‟‟ in The Constitution, vol. 6, No.1, March.
- Agagu, A. A. (1997). Local government. In Kolawole, D. (Ed.), Readings in Political Science. Lagos: BolabayPublications.
- Agbalajobi, D. T. (2009). Women’s participation and the political processes in Nigeria: Problems and prospects, in African Journal of Political Science and International Relations. 4(2) 75-82.
- Allah-Mensah, B. (2005). The gender dimension of the 1996 Elections: Its implications for democratic consolidation. in
- Ayee, J.R.A. (ed). The 1996 General Elections and Democratic Consolidation in Ghana. Accra: Department of Political Science, Universityof Ghana, Legon- Accra.
