The Contributions of Local Government Towards Rural Development in Nigeria
Public Administration Project Topics
Introduction
The quest for a wide spread development in the country and economic emancipation laid basis for the federal government to create local government as a tier of government which is seen as the closest government to the people. Okoli (2005:) defines local government as a unit of government established by act of law to administer the functions of government and see to the welfare and interest of the local dwellers under the local government system.
Based on the fact that the Federal government sees to the affairs of the entire nation and has many institutions under it which it needs to coordinate and maintain for national growth, it sees the welfare of the local people as paramount and this prompted the need for the creation of local government as the third tier government in the country and charged with the responsibility of uplifting the lives of the rural dwellers. It is important to observe that the basic amenities which are so dear to the people are left in the hands of the local government such as primary health care, rural electrification, pipe borne water, primary education etc the contributions of local governments in the development of the rural areas can not be over emphasized. Rural development as a matter of fact is an inner emotion and commitment of the leadership of such council. Local government council (Authority stand for the integration of the people at that level into the plans and policies of government at both the states and federal Governments). The expectation of the people from council demands the outward, visible and tangible manifestation of the well beings in such areas or communities.
Therefore, it became imperative to take a look at why the rural areas which supposed to be the main reasons for local Government creation are neglected in terms of development within means to come out with solution. Sharpe, (1979) put forward five roles which a local Government should play. They include coordination, reconciling of communities opinion, consumer pressure group, agent of responding to rising demands and counter weight to incipient syndication. However, Hill, (1974) warns that Local Government runs the risk if it neglects the involvement of the public in a meaningful way. To be effective provider of services, the Local Government Authorities must be more than efficient. Theory of power diffusion according to G. Jones and Stewart opined that the local government must ensure that resources can be better marched to the diversity of needs of the rural communities. It is local and therefore must be closer to the people. Due to the disturbing scenario created by this hydra headed cankerworm, it became pertinent to know what local government stands for.
Following this introduction, chapter one discusses the following expositions on: the statement of the problem, research questions the study posited, purpose of the study, significant of the study, scope of the study, limitations of the study, operational definitions of terms and the organizations of the study. chapter two of this work will deal extensively review some related literature hence some empirical and theoretical frameworks will be adopted. Chapter three will presents the methodological details the researcher employed in the study. Chapter four will discuss the presentation and analysis of data, whereas chapter five will summarize the findings of the work drawing some conclusions and presenting useful and attainable recommendation.
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