ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNEMENT ADMINSTRATION AND SOCIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN JIGAWA STATE (A CASE STUDY OF DUTSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT )

This paper examines the link between role of local government administration and socio- economic development in jigawa state to promote rural development in Nigeria. It explains political participation as the legitimating of leadership through consent, and the involvement of citizens in the governmental process of policy making and implementation. The paper notes that rural development is the focus of development attention on rural areas to ensure balanced development between the urban and rural areas, enhance the living conditions of rural based citizens and control of rural – urban migration. The paper further states that political participation in Nigeria is largely driven by private interests, and is thus associated with corruption, the lack of commitment to the goals of development, and neglect of citizens’ needs and aspirations by the local government councils. The paper argues that, the use of local government as an instrument of rural development ought to be predicated on the shift from private benefit political participation to public benefit political participation. It posits that to achieve this, the level of political consciousness of the citizens requires particular attention. The paper views non-state actors as the most likely medium for achieving this noble goal.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX (QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN)  

 

 

The main theme of the study is local government administration toward socio-economic development in Jigawa state. It is no doubt that local government has been very prominent in Nigeria’s national political discourse since 1976 Murtala/Obasanjo local government reform. On this note, local government constitute the most critical level of government by which the momentum to sustain development can be created most specifically since 1976 and especially 1985, local government has become a very prominent issue in political dispensation specifically in Nigeria since the later date. The military administration under the leadership of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida embarked on a few fundamental changes in local government system (Abubakar,1980 history of local in Nigeria dates to the colonial days. Although contact with Europeans dates to the fifteenth century, it was not until 1861 before the first steps were taken to establish an administration by Britain. The colonial administration that was established was based on indirect rule(ogunna,1996).

Thus, it required that the administration should be carried out through traditional rulers and institutions. Thus, led to the establishment of native authority in their most rudimentary forms from the 1890s to the 1930s.

The main function of the native authorities was to maintain law and order. The 1976 1977, and 1985 local government reforms under the leadership of Murtala/Obasanjo, and general Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida embarked upon a number of fundamental changes in local government system(Aliyu  and Kohen, 1982).

The sweeping change in the system of local government in Nigeria was designed to affect the radical changes in conformity with state government in the provision of sound economic development at the local level. Therefore, the research will tend to look at and assess the level of development achieved, the administrative capacity and financial capability of local government, the transparency and accountability in governance and improvement in the socio-economic development of the people of the Dutse Local Government Area. Also, to justify the manifestation of fraud and general management of public fund in the local government system, it will emanates the possible means through which local government can achieve their financial management, which will in turn boost their performance in the sustenance of socio-economic development of the people at the local level and desire for accelerated social justice, even development and to redress the imbalance in the distribution of amenities among the various communities. 

The focus of this research is to study the role of local government administration toward socio economics development In jigawa state From time immemorial community development in its modern sense has been identified as method that can be used for transformation. Setbacks to this arouse the need to find possible solutions to the problems.

Community development can be seen as the active participation and initiative of community, but if this initiative neither is nor forth coming spontaneously by the use of technique for arousing and stimulating it in order to achieve its active and enthusiastic response to the movement. This was underline as the essential basis for social advancement and the growth of the whole community through self-help and self-reliance group. However, self-help groups are increasingly becoming instrument for social and economic transformation worldwide; people join hands to address particular socio-economic problems. Citizens in Jigawa state come together to form such societies in order to develop the spirit of self-help and economic empowerments, in order to develop their communities through self-help and create awareness and consciousness to people of the community.

However, in the context of community development it is a concept associated with improvement. It is a type of change in a positive way, while the consequences of the efforts to bring about development may not be positive, however, the objectives is always positive. Development efforts that fail to produce positive results may constitute work intended to bringing development.

However, development activities variety with the scale and functions being performed. The degree of operational co-ordination among specific activities fluctuates. Furthermore a substantial number of actions are performed with high degree of independence. The intelligence information resources, technologies designed skills and energies generated by such independence operations may be integrated only after they reach the stage of outputs of the constituent structures. The trick is for the system to develop the capacity, becoming aware of their existence and community development was seen as emphasizing self-help mutual support, the building up neighborhood integration, the development of the neighborhood capacities for problem solving and self-representation and the promotion of collective action to bring community preference to the attention of political decision makers.

It is quite unfortunate that local government in Nigeria today cannot yield a meaningful socio-economic development within its communities even thought is one of the main goals for the creation of local government. In Nigeria, local government is meant to generate revenue and ensure proper socio-economic development at the grassroots. However, the local governments in Nigeria have failed to enhance socio-economic development at the grassroots (Ogunna, 1996)

The problems local governments are faced with are many including; misappropriation of fund in the local government and many other problems that jeopardize the purpose of the creation of local government itself. The greater problem of local government is the problem of fund. Money is mismanaged, misspent and misappropriated. A viable local government is the one that mobilized its available resources through the provision of socio-economic development that can meet the people’s need at local level.

However, the performance of local government is dependent, to great extent, on the financial resources available. Another problem affecting local government is that of joint account between the local government and state government. Why is this so? In many states, the funds allocated to the local government are transferred to the account of local government by the state government through which the money is spent. Instead of such money was simply spent by the local government, why because local governments are not receive that statutory allocation directly to its account as are suit of joint account such money had been spent by the state governments.. Another problem militating against the sustenance and improvement of socio-economic development at the grassroots is the problem of poor quality of staff in local governments. Generally, local government lacks adequate qualified and experienced professionals, as well as technicians and professional personnel who are much needed. There is need to improve the quality and quantity of staff in local government. These works can only be feasible with adequate financial resources. It is in this regard that section 162 of the constitution made the provision of 20% of income of the federal government to be shared among 774 local government of the country as statutory allocation. Also, section 162 of the constitution prescribed the state government to provide 10% from its total internal generated revenue to the local government for the provision of socio-economic development at the grassroots but unfortunately this money it is not constitutionally transferred. due to the exploitation and interest of the state governments resulted by joint accounts.

It is in this view that the research intends to examine and ascertain the level of improvement in the socio-economic development of Dutse Local Government Council. The research examines the role of the local government council in the provision of services towards the socio-economic development of communities within it.

Basically, the main objectives of the research are:

According to bailey (1994) hypothesis is the tentative explanation for the evidence necessary for testing it is at least potentially available (cited in Ahmed 2010a). The research hypotheses of this study are as follows:

The significance of this study will assist Local government in Nigeria to be more independent to generate their on revenues It will contribute to the existing body of knowledge in local government administration in Nigeria. It will also assist local government to eliminate corruption and mismanagement of public funds as well as commitment of Local government in the provision of socio-economic development at the grassroots level.

This research work is limited to Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa state, specifically, from the work is also limited to the study of promoting socio-economic development in Jigawa state.

Dutse town derived its name from the word “rock” which rounded the ancient Dutse and provide beauty on its own and natural strategies for defense and security to the entire people of the town against any possible attack from elsewhere.

In the olden days the town has a quite number of traditional rulers, these include: Dan Malam, Lawan Nuhu Sunusi among others. The local government become a state capital in august 27 1991. This was as a result of 1991 state creating by the then head of state general Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida’s administration.

The total land mass of this area is 1,890 square kilometers with a population of 147,343 based on 2006 population census and it is situated in the eastern corner of old Kano state with boundaries to the defunct Kano south eastern administration of Birnin kudu.

Historically the dynastic ruler called “Tsohun Mutum” was known to have rule for seventy years from (1827-1897). However his rule was terminated by the break out of the Sokoto jihad period. The present emir of Dutse (Alh) Dr. Nuhu (M. Sunusi) is the eighteenth emir of Dutse. Dutse has its thrills and frills of ancient wars of invasion, intrusion and defense. The earlier settlers could not have barging for anything better than Dutse area. The rock made it easier for watchers to be on the lookout of invaders to carry out the surveillance undulated. 

Dutse has a high potential capable of providing the needs of both its people and Nigeria. Geographically dictated quarry industries would get it portable and economically wise to exploit the rocks as raw materials which the local government area is endowed with. Farming is situated in the savanna region, a vast majority of the population are deeply involved in agriculture. Agrarian nature of occupation is made possible by vast area of land, majority of the people in this area are farmers usually they engaged in mixed faming. Dutse local government from west in bounded by Albasu local government area of Kano state and by east, it is bounded by Birnin kudu local government.

There are some concepts used in this study that needs to be defined for clarity and understanding.

Local Government: This concept has been conceived and constituted in different ways. The United Nations Office for Public Administration defines local government as: A political subdivision of a nation or (in a federal system) state which is constituted by law and has substantial control of local affairs including the power to impose taxes or to exact labor for prescribed purposes.

The governing body of such an entity is elected? It’s a system of government of a town or area by elected representatives of the people who live there.

The 1976 local government reform defines local government as: Government at local level exercise through representative council established by law to exercise specific power within defined areas.

According to Oni, (1993), local government is the “level of government exercised through representative councils, established by law to exercise geographical area with common social and political ties. Administration: administration “is a universal practice and of universal importance. It’s said to commence immediately two people agree to co-operate to undertake a task, for instance, to move a stone which none of them can move alone” (Anifowose and Enemo1999: 279

According to business dictionary defined Socio economic development; as the process of social and economic development in society. Is the process that seeks to identify both social and the economic needs within a community and seeks to create strategies that will address those needs in a ways  that are practical and in the best interest community over long run.

Development: Walter Rodney (1972,P;3) defines it as  An overall social process  which is depending upon increased capacity of members of a society to master the laws of nature (that is science) and apply such law in the production of tools (that is technology) with which they can control their environment to meet their immediate and future needs. It cannot be seen purely as an economic affair because other segments of the society are also involved.” 

Development: is the improvement of the living conditions of the people.” [M.M Yusuf, 1987]

This study is divided into five (5) chapters. Chapter one contains the general introduction which includes statement of the research problem, research questions, objective of the study, significance of the study, scope and limitation, research assumptions, research methodology, method of sampling, definition of the key concepts, outline of chapters and references. 

Chapter two deals with literature review and theoretical frame work. In other words, the review of existing material such as text books, journals, paper presentation etc. Chapter (3) looks at the issue of local government system in Nigeria. The historical background of Dutse L.G.A, the organizational structure of Dutse Local Government as well as the functions of key officials in the local government.

Chapter four (4) looks at data presentation and analysis. In other words, the data collected will be presented properly and accurately and to finally analyze them easily. Chapter five covers part of the project, which includes summary, conclusion and recommendation for further research work.