The Impact of Inter-Governmental Relations on Local Government Administration in Nigeria: A Study of Oredo Local Government
Chapter One
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of inter-governmental relations on local government administration. It will also evaluate it, determine its effects on the processes of governance success and failure and discuss, likely means by which they can be controlled. The other objectives this research seeks to achieve are:
- To determine the extent to which intergovernmental relations affect local government administration in Nigeria.
- To ascertain the effect of unhealthy rivalry between local government and other levels of government as a result of a number of interrelated factors.
- To determine the relationship existence between local government and state government.
- To make suggestions for policy implication in the light of the findings of the study.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
In Nigeria, the impact of government is expected to be felt more at the grassroots level, that is, where the majority of the people of the country live. As a result, the local government as the third tier of government in the country is charged with the responsibility of the delivery of governmental services and making common man feel the impact of the government that govern them. Hence, there are quite some duties and responsibilities that they discharge as function either at the constitutional level or the sub-constitutional level (Yahaya, 2009). In other word, the essence is to make the grassroots or local government area also to witness development in their domain. However, the place of inter-governmental relations play a critical role in this, as it is the focal point of relationship of interaction occurring among governmental units of all types within the Federal system. Therefore in order to ensure a positive cordial relations, as well as able to manage the complexities that comes or exist when engage in IGR.
CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION
There are two base concepts that are central to this research project work. These are local government and inter-governmental relations. To start with its conceptual definition is local government.
The united Nation (UN) defines local government as a political subdivision of a nation in a federal system that exist within a state, which is constituted by law to have a substantial control of local affairs, including the power of impose taxes, or exact labour for prescribed purposes. The governing body of such an entity is elected or otherwise locally selected. According to Agagu (1997), the concept of local government represents a grassroots level of administration meant for meeting peculiar needs of the people at the local level. It is the lowest unit of administration with laws and regulations the communities to which a group of people who live with common social and political ties, are subject.
Lawal (2000) defines local government as that tier of government that is closer to the people, which is vested with certain powers to exercise control over the affairs of people in its domain. The 1976 local government reforms hand book defined local government thus:
Government at the local level exercised through representative councils established by laws to exercise specific powers within defined areas. These powers should give the council substantial control over local affairs as well as the staff and institutional and financial power to initiate and direct provision of services and to determines and implement projects, so as to compliment the activities of the state and federal government in their areas, and to ensure and through devolution of functions to these council and through the active participation of the people and their traditional institutions that local initiatives and responses to local needs and conditions are maximized.
The International Encyclopedia of social sciences (1976) defines local government as a political sub-division of national or regional government, which performs functions and derives its power from the national or regional government, but which possess some degree of discretion in the making of decision with a measure of taxing power. In other words local government a creation of the central body, given the responsibilities to take actions on matters that affect the local population areas. From the above analysis on the conceptual definition of local government, it can be deduced that local government is meant for grassroots development and it take effect for initiating and implementing projects meant for administration of local communities areas. Indeed, local government is a carved out unit from the bigger territorial area of a national regional government to ensure complete presence of government at the grassroot areas.
THE CONCEPTUAL MEANING OF INTER-GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
The concept of Inter-governmental relations (IGR) can be understood by considering three dimension or schools of thought. The first school of thought believes that inter-government relations occurs in a federal system; the second believes that it can only exist in both federal and unitary system of government; while the third school stresses that it can take place at the international level. The above is an indication that inter-governmental relations exist in both the federal and unitary system. Therefore, inter-governmental relations is not associated with any system of government (Solomon, 2014).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
AREA OF STUDY
This chapter covers the description and discussion on the various techniques and procedures used in the study to collect and analyze the data as it is deemed appropriate.
Thus, the following areas will be treated: Research design, sources of data , sampling method, research instrument, reliability and validity of the study, administration of research instrument, description of data analysis and coding procedure.
RESEARCH DESIGN
According to Saunders and Thorn hill (2003) cited in Adefolarin (2014), research design means the plan and structure of investigation so conceived as to seek answers to questions for a research study. Babbie and Mounton (2001) cited in Orod ho (2009), research design essentially the overall framement of a research project. The master plan within which various data gathering tools are used. It constitutes guidelines which direct the researcher toward solving the research problem. As Sekaran (2000) pointed out that research design constitutes the blue print for collection, measurement and analysis of data. The research work can best be described as a survey research. A survey research is one in which a group of people or items is studied by collecting and analyzing data from only a few people or the entire group. Indeed in a more specific objective this research work is a comparative stand point of research study where it deal in survey research as only a sample of the population is studied.
SOURCES OF DATA
This study is based on the two possible sources of data which are the primary and secondary source.
- Primary sources of data: the primary data for this study consist of raw data generated from responses to questionnaires and interview by the respondents.
- Secondary source of data: the secondary data includes information obtained through the review of literature that is journal, monographs, textbooks, newspaper, internet and achieve, periodical.
STUDY POPULATION AND DETERMINATION OF SAMPLE SIZE
The research work focuses on participatory approach in organizational management: this mainly involves bottom up approach, where staff at the lower echelon of the organization are allowed to be part and parcel of decision making process. The population of the study consists of civil servant, politician, student, trader, labour leaders, traditional rulers and religious leader within Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). The choices of this population was based on the exploratory nature of the study, convenience and the desired to reduce potentially exogenous influences beyond the scope of the story. Questionnaire was administered to obtain the opinion of politician, student, trader, labour leaders, traditional rulers, youth’s religious leader, and civil servants, on the impact of inter-governmental relations on local government administration in Nigeria. The sample of 75 was taken out of population of 100.
However, the main purpose of sampling is to achieve representative of the population from which it is taken (Jenning, 2001). To achieve this, a sample size of 75 respondents was chosen using random sampling. Random sampling method is a method of selecting a population such that all members of the population have equal chance of being selected for the study, and the sampling of each case from the pool of cases is independent of the sampling of another case (Adefolarin, 2014). Thus, a sample of 75 respondents was selected, only 50 completed and returned their questionnaires hence they constitute that sample size.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSING
DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS, AND DISCUSSION
This chapter deal with analysis and interpretation of the data gathered in the course of the research. As earlier state, the statistical tools employed to assist in the analysis of this work are tables and simple percentage, also degree of frequency and chi-square to test the hypothesis. A total number of 75 questionnaire were distributed only 50 were returned duly completed after being admitted to sample size respondents within Abuja municipal area council. The data were reported in the table below when represents the responses in percentage.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
The research work has considered the impact of intergovernmental relations in local government administration in Nigeria using the Abuja municipal area council (AMAC) as case study. The three levels of government are constitutionally allocated powers, but the start house of assembly determines the functions of the local government. The three major findings of the research are as follows:
- The federal and the state governments seen to have atoning but the atoning of local government is questionable because of the ambiguity of the constitution on this subject matter
- There is a significant relationship between intergovernmental relations and local government that would bring about good governance
- There is a significant correlation between inter governmental relations and Abuja Municipal Area Council
CONCLUSION
In this study, have ex-rayed the local government and impact of intergovernmental relations in Nigeria. One outstanding issue in this relationship is that the Nigeria constitution confers on the state, the legal existence and as a result the local government are state creation through laws passed by the various housed of assembly within the context if the 1999 and 2011 Nigeria constitution as amended, section 7 (2) which provide that the system of local government by democratically elected local government council is under this constitution and according , the government of every state shall ensure their existence, under the law which proved for the establishment structure compotation finance and functions of such council.
The above constitutional provision is appealing and awful because following 1976 reform of local government in Nigeria it was behaved that local government would be repositioned as a distinct level of government with full government powers and authority but instead the constitutional provisions continued to subject local government to a subservice slave and subordination position tied to the apron of the higher level of government especially the state government. This subject position in all reunification has affects good governance and its functional competence especially in the area of project implementation this is so because there are no meaningful projects embarked upon by this level of government AMAC for instance cannot boost of any project that is people oriented
Indeed local government has therefore become an appendage of federal and state government due to lack of financial and by extension, political autonomy=my. This has also str5ained the relationship between the local government and other levels of government. The unhealthy rivalry and competition among the levels of government has made service delivery at all levels of government to be impossible. Continuality will reign among the levels of government when the constitution gives the boundaries by which all levels are bound.
RECOMMENDATION
Nigeria is a unhinge federal state where local government are regarded as a separates arm of government a third tier system of government. For local government to remain effective third tier system of government and for intergovernmental relations to be smooth practice, the following are recommended:
- That local government should be allowed to function as a government with mineral control from the federal and state government.
- The federal allocation meant for local government should be sent directly to local government and not through state local government joint account.
- The constitutional status of local government as contained in section 7 must be clearly spelt out. This will allow local government to perform the function for which it was set up bye laws can be used to regulate the affairs of the local government.
- That both federal and state government should stop unilateral / illegal deduction from local government share of revel rather such deduction must be discus and agreed upon by all the parties. Moreover the judiciary should be made to be independent. Undue interference in the local government affair by the state or federal government should be properly addressed.
- That the account in cords of the councils should be audited from time to time by the higher level of government notably federal government and private consultant or independent bodies to ensure enthronement of financial discipline in running councils affairs.
- To ensure effective government project implement political head of the local government council should be elected the people.
- Federal state local government and intergovernmental relation should be anchor on the need to promote cooperation and partnership between them and not on confrontation completion neither master slave kind.
- Tax shares or grants to local government in Nigeria should be tied to priority projects or programmes to Fars tall a situation where available funds councils are not wasted on administration / over head costs of councils alone
- Election into AMAC should be held periodically and should be the basis of assuming political positions at the local level. This the appointment of care taker committee by the governor or minister if FCT Abuja for instance to direct the affairs of local government would be on the basis of acceptability which will reduce the degree of conflict or acrimony
- Employees of the local government in Nigeria should be highly motivated to gear toward effective performance
PROPOSAL FOR FURTHER STUDY
Considering the fact that intergovernmental relations is very apt in the practice governance and development agenda in Nigeria. We suggest for their research should accommodate the relevance imputes that intergovernmental relation can have in the performance of local government. It is parchment that the research should enlarge the sample size and population as well as the area study so as to form a stranger basis to adjudge the impact of intergovernmental relations in local government in Nigeria beyond the case study adopted by this research.
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