LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY AND CHALLENGES OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY AND CHALLENGES OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

 The aim of this project work is to examine the nature Of the Local Government autonomy, its strength and inherent contradictions in achieving the objectives of local government system in Nigeria. In doing this, it will be relevant to engage in a bit of theorizing and conceptualization of the terms Local government and autonomy from different View points. This will enable us generate a greater Power of analysis, as we observe that most of the handed down tools, models, theories and Approaches from the West are of little utility to the changing conditions of developing democracies.

This exercise will not in any way assume to have exhausted all the various definitions given by scholars and leading practitioners as to what local government and autonomy connote. But our choice of definition will be those that are of relevance to the contemporary Nigerian local government system.

At this point, it is conceived that any serious discussion on the present local government autonomy has to touch on our socio-economic and political circumstances. Thus our values, sentiments and prejudices could not escape intruding as we make the premise as well as suggest measures for transforming Nigerian local government system.

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The topical issue of local government (LG) autonomy in Nigeria in relation to the development of the localities, the raison d’etre of LGs, has been examined in this paper. Proceeding from theoretical framework and conceptualizations for clearer understanding, the paper discusses some dominant autonomy issues. These include representative LGs, the size of LGs, revenue, and personnel. The paper found that inadequate handling of virtually all the above issues has posed some challenges for LGs’ developmental efforts in the localities. Inadequate autonomy has been found to be the independent variable in the challenges. Other challenges include inadequate finances, weak intergovernmental relations, fledging democracy and grand corruption. These must be adequately tackled for LGs to make more positive impact in the localities. Some pertinent recommendations are as follows. LGs need adequate autonomy, hard work rather than verbal institutionalization, democratic consolidation, reduced corruption, increased discipline and application of the rule of law.

It is important to note that countries with federal structure like ours, for instance, the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada and Ghana to mention a few, have devolved power on the third tier including fiscal autonomy. Comparatively, we cannot be an exception in this era of globalization.

In fact, deliberate steps such as financial autonomy should be taken to free the Local Governments from the suffocating grip of the State Governments. A nation on the threshold of attaining the millennium development goals (MDGs) by 2020 cannot afford to ignore the fiscal autonomy of Local Governments which will serve as a propeller of corporate realization of its key components especially at the grass root.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The statement of the problem is concerned with the inevitable consequence rising from lack of solution to the problem being investigated.

This problem will be listed as follows:

1. Low morale, inefficiency and low productivity of workers
2. Decrease in the company’s profit
3. High labour turnover
4. Absenteeism and non-payment of workers compensation
5. Insufficient funds for investment Sustainability and long-run survival of the organization

1.3     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Those who have misconceptions about the local government autonomy and challenges of national development will be enlightened through this study. This research work will show if there is any effects of workers morale and efficiency to the profitability of an organization. Finally the research will show the various contribution and Strategies for national development.

 1.4 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of this study are as follows:

1. To reduce labour turnover through proper human resource management.
2. To enlighten organization on the relevance of local government autonomy
3. To show the importance of local government autonomy system
4. To show the challenges facing the national development.
5. To show the Major challenges facing local government

 1.5     RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Hypothesis is a tentative answer to a research problem. It is an intelligent or education guess concerning some variables. There are two types of hypothesis, the null hypothesis (H_O) and the alternative hypothesis (HI). Hypothesis’s in a very real sense is the core of the study. It guides the researcher in planning the course of the inquiry, in choosing the kinds of data needed, in deciding the proper statistical treatment and examining the result of the study.

The hypothesis for this research work is as follow:

1. Hi: local government autonomy affects the profitability of an organization.

Ho:     local government autonomy does not affect the profitability of an organization.

2. Hi: are local governments useless without the autonomy system Ho: are local governments not useless without the autonomy system
3. Hi: should the government grant the local government autonomy system Ho: the government should grant the local government autonomy system.

1.6     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This research work will be looking mainly at the local government autonomy and challenges of national development; using kogi state local government area as a case study. This research will also talk about the priority recognition local government autonomy, the importance of strategic human resource management and the challenges of national development.

1.7     LIMITATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS OF THE STUDY

Limitations are the factors which affect the result of the study. There is hardly any research project without some limitation affecting it in one-way or the other. The limitations encountered during the course of this research are as follow:

1. Financial Limitation: There was also financial limitation, because to carry out a research of any kind you need money and being a student my finances are limited.
2. Collection of Information: There were limitations in getting all the required information needed for the research as some of the information’s where not forth coming due to lack of co-operation and secrecy the part of the respondents.
3. Time Constraints: The time required to get the research done is limited being an academic requirement to finish your studies and research takes a considerable amount of time e.g two years.
4. Secrecy: The respondents being questioned were reluctant in giving relevant information needed for the research work. They see the questions being asked as trying to probe them.
5. Illiteracy: There was limitation of illiteracy on the part of some of the respondent. It is difficult for people who cannot read and write to appreciate the need to supply relevant research information.

1.8     DEFINITION OF TERMS

Definition of some terms in this research will be given so as to give an explanation of the meaning of such terms in the context in which they are used. They include;

1. Local autonomy: Local autonomy is the exercise of certain basic powers, i.e. police power, power of eminent domain, and taxing power, by local government units so as to best serve the interest and promote the general well being of their inhabitants.
2. Mayors: Councils will also have a mayor or chairman of the council to undertake ceremonial duties. However, a few councils have elected mayors who responsible for the day-to-day running of local services. They are voted for by local people, and serve for four years. They provide political leadership to the council and the community, and carry out the local authority’s policies
3. Local government: Local government is the collective term for local councils. You may also sometimes hear them referred to as local authorities. Local councils are made up of councilors (members) who are voted for by the public in local elections and paid council staff (officers) who deliver services. There are currently 411 councils in the UK.
4. Motivation: – This is concerned with how behavior gets started is energized, is sustained, is directed and stopped.
5. Leadership Behaviour: – This can be described as the influence exerted by the leaders on their subordinates as regards their jobs and clarifications of what is expected of them. Its subordinate will be satisfied by the intrinsic demands of the unstructured task and be highly motivated by the extrinsic rewards associated with their employments.
6. Performance: – An act by which a given task is done or executed.
7. Leadership: – This is an act or process of exerting positive influence over other people so that they will strive willingly and enthusiastically towards the accomplishment of goals and objectives.
8. Job: – An entity but complex inters – relations of tasks, roles, responsibility, interaction, incentives and rewards.
9. Management: – This is defined as the process by which managers create, direct, maintain and operate a purposive organization through systematic, coordinated operative human efforts.
10. Organization: – This is a group of people in a defined territory and working together to achieve stated objective.
11. Goal Path Theory: – An objective of object toward which a person strikes. A theory is a set of generalizations which can be used to describe observed events or predicts future events.
12. National development: National development therefore can be described as the overall development or a collective socio-economic, political as well as religious advancement of a country or nation. This is best achieved through development planning, which can be described as the country’s collection of strategies mapped out by the government.