ABSTRACT
This research entitled local Government
and community development: A case study of Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State
is aimed at evaluating the impact and contributions of Owerri Municipal Council
in Community development. It is also to identify the problems that are
militating against Local Government efforts in the provision of infrastructural
facilities, and finally to make recommendations on how Government and rural
communities can improve their contribution to community development. To realize
these objectives, a number of research questions and hypothesis were developed
to guide the research, while the questionnaire method of collecting data was
used to generate answers to these research questions and hypothesis. Two
hundred questionnaires were distributed, while170 of these questionnaires were
returned, the method of data analysis applied is the simple percentage approach.
The findings of this study include that lack of adequate finding, poor and/ or
incompetent manpower has militated against the capacity of the Council to
engage in people oriented projects. To this end, this study among others
recommended that there should be adequate financing of local Governments in
Nigeria and that in terms of employment and deployment of manpower in local
governments, efforts should always be made to put pound pigs in round
holes.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page
Approval page:………………………………………………i
Dedication:…………………………………………………..ii
Acknowledgements:………………………………………....iii
Table of
contents:…………………………………………..iv-v
List of
table:………………………………………………vi-vii
Abstract:…………………………………………………..viii
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION:……………………………………….1
1.1
Background
of the Study:…………………………….1-2
1.2
Statement
of the Problem……………………………..2
1.3
Research
Questions:…………………………………...2-3
1.4
Hypothesis:…………………………………………….3
1.5
Objectives
of the Study:………………………………..4
1.6
Significance
of the Study:……………………………..4-5
1.7
Scope
of the Study:……………………………………5
1.8
Limitations
of the Study:……………………………...5-6
1.9
Definition
of Terms:………………………………….6-7
CHAPTER TWO
THEORETICAL FRAME WORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1
Theoretical
Frame Work:……………………………..8-9
2.2
Literature
Review:……………………………………..10
2.2.1Local Government:…………………………………10-20
2.2.2Community Development:………………………….20-21
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1
Research
Design:……………………………………22
3.2
Population
of the Study:…………………………… 23
3.3
Sample
Size Determination:………………………..23
3.4
Sampling
Procedure/Techniques:…………………..23
3.5
Method
of Data Collection:………………………...23-24
3.6
Method
of Data Analysis:…………………………..24
CHAPTER FOUR
Data presentation and analysis
4.1
Introduction:………………………………………..25
4.2
Presentation
and Analysis of Data:…………………25-36
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION, SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1
Discussion
of Findings:……………………………..37
5.2
Summary:…………………………………………..38-39
5.3
Conclusion:…………………………………………39-40
5.4
Recommendations:…………………………………40-43
References:………………………………………………44-46
Appendices:……………………………………………...47
Appendix:………………………………………………..48-50
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.2.1………………………………………………..26
Table 4.3.1……………………………………………….27
Table 4.3.2……………………………………………….27
Table 4.3.3………………………………………………28
Table 4.3.4……………………………………………....29
Table 4.3.5……………………………………………....30
Table 4.3.6……………………………………………....30
Table 4.3.7……………………………………………....31
Table 4.3.8……………………………………………....31
Table 4.3.9……………………………………………....32
Table 4.3.10 ………………………………………….....32
Table 4.3.11……………………………………………..33
Table 4.3.12 ………………………………………….....34
Table 4.3.13……………………………………………..34
Table 4.3.14……………………………………………..35
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Community development as a concept
can be said to be as old as the period man became settled. Hence in his attempt
to live a sedentary life, he began to think out ways to better his lots and
that of the community he belongs to: the point one is trying to highlight here
is that the moment man started living in the community no matter how small or
large, the development of the society or community becomes paramount in his
mind. According to Abbot, in Ogunna (2007) the concept of community development
is theoretically a very old one.
The
Athenians were able to build the acropolis through communal labour. The age of
pericles for instance was regarded as golden age of Athens
because this period, saw the greater attention being paid to the economic and
cultural development of Athens.
In the east central State of Nigeria where our location of study belongs to,
many communities had in the pre-colonial days constructed roads and bridges,
cleared village paths provided themselves with clean water supply and built market
places through communal labours.
However,
recently, the creation of Local Government which is Government at the
grassroots level has made community development to take another shape. This
task of community development is saddled by both the community and the
government. Based on these the study, is consumed with steps the local
government takes to play this role.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Irrespective of the fact that Local
Government has largely been conceived as
the Government at the grassroots, and so being about needed enlightenment and
development in the rural areas. It is important to have in mind that despite
all these, Local Government is still faced with the problem of interference by
the state in the running of the Local Government it also experiences the
problem of poor quality man power and the problem of finance.
1.3 Research Questions
a. How does state interference in the
running of the local government affect their contributions to community
development?
b. Does incompetent manpower contributed
to low performance of local government in community development?
c. How can the performance of the local
government be rate in financing community development?
d. Do you think that the local people
participate in local government and community development?
1.4 Hypothesis
Hi: corruption among Local Government officials
is the cause of low community development in Owerri Local Government.
Ho: corruption among Local Government officials is
not the cause of low community development in Owerri Local Government
Hi: inadequate financial resources in the Local
Government has caused low level of community development
Ho: inadequate financial resources in the local
government has not caused low level of community development
Hi: incompetent manpower in the Local Government has
caused low level of community development
Ho: incompetent
manpower in the Local Government has not caused low level of community
development.
1.5 Objective of the study
1. The main objective in this research
is to evaluate the impact and contributions Owerri Municipal Council makes in
community development
2. It is also to identify the problem
that are militating against Local Government efforts in the provision of
infrastructural facilities
3. To make recommendations on how
government and rural communities can improve their contribution to community
development
1.6 Significance of the study
1.
For
the people in the rural areas
2.
For
the Federal and State Government
3.
For
the entire system
1
For
the people in the rural areas this means that people in the rural area will be
giving more chances of joining more groups of the kind they wish to join and by
so doing become more competent to live with and gain some control over local
aspects of a frustrating and changing world
2
For
the Government (Federal and State) Local Government is known to be the Government
at the grass root. Which is designed to serve as an instrument of national or
state government for the performance of certain basic services which could be
administered locally on the intimate knowledge of the needs, condition and
peculiarities of the areas concerned so as to carryout community development
project efficiently and effectively.
3
For
the entire system According to Amucheazi he posits that it is only through an
effective local Government system that the human and material resources could
be mobilized for local communication between the Government and the Governors
1.7 Scope of the study
1. The study will be conducted in Owerri Municipal
Council Imo
State of Nigeria. Both male and female in
the council will be interviewed
2. The study will make recommendation on
the best possible means of harnessing the local government efforts towards
their development
1.8 Limitations of the study
i.Time: Enough time was required for
the collection of data and other relevant facts. The researcher as a final year
student has to spend most of her time traveling to Owerri Municipal Council in
search of relevant and efficient information related and particular for the
most important ones for her study.
ii. Cost: A thorough research work
imposes a huge financial burden, which cannot borne adequately by a student for
this reason, the researcher has to be restricted to Owerri Municipal Council
only.
iii.Interview problem: most people
interviewed were unwilling to give or release information required due to fear
that their opponent or competitors may get hold of them and use those
information against them.
Therefore,
most people interviewed were not able to answer correctly the questions posed
to them.
1.9
Definition of terms
Local Government: Is a form of Government created
at the grass root level to serve the purpose of rural development in community.
Development:
is a state of mind, and tendency, a direction. Rather than a fixed goal, it is
a rate of change in particular direction
Government: is
a system by which a state or community is governed.
Community development: is seen as where ever the
members of any group small or large live together in such a way that they share
this or that basic condition of a common life such group is seen as a
community.
Community: can
therefore be a village, city, ethnic group or even a nation.
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