CHAPTER ONE

•       INTRODUCTION

It is worthy of note that communication is a basic ingredient in human society since it is seen as an exchange ideas and meaning. These are all important phenomena that could take different forms: these include symbolic signs, gestures and language.

Through communication, an individual is able to structure and organize his environment, besides it is an interaction process through which persons or group of people related to each other can share information experience and culture. Jaraweera (1991:17).

Communication messages can only be understood through interpretation of contents on basis of norm, idea, attitudes, value and behavioural pattern prevailing environment of the audience.

Whatever society, citizens are not resident in the same such societies, therefore, it is necessary to communicate interpersonally with each other within and outside the community for community development.

Interpersonal communication is a form of communication that involves face to face basis. It is through interpersonal communication that one shares experience. It is the exchange of ideas and information between two people. Interpersonal communication also occurs between you and your communication you and your community members. In this case you do not keep your ideas to yourself, you share them with someone else, and it could be by telephone or face to face.

Community development has more to do with working together in other to achieve a greater result without stress or suffering it is expected of every member of a community to co-operate with each other to bring out a great result at the end of the day, any good community will do everything to attain a greater height in the course of it growth.

This serves as a strategies tools which provides an in-depth  analysis community structure, staffing level, business processes and resulting levels of development and services, it also help in knowing the inner minds of the people working in the community.

Through interpersonal communication such people relay to the original media message as well as their interpretation, and information therefore, study sought to find out the influence of interpersonal communication in Obot Akara Local Government Area, find out how this will help in making the community a plat form for peaceful existence among workers and villagers.

Interpersonal communication dominates our activities at home, school, church and communities, market place and almost everywhere. This type of communication usually begins with intrapersonal communication because you have to really know yourself, thinking of what to tell your community or how to discuss with friends, the ability to communicate with others and make meaning. Intrapersonal communication is the communication that goes within or inside an individual; it is the basis of all other forms of human communication. It is the exchange of message between the brain and the sense organ of the body. It is the starting and the end point of all communication.

We shop easily through interpersonal communication; marriage is also making possible through this type of communication because we get to understand each other through face to face communication.

Interpersonal communication involve action from another person, life would have not been so nice if communication started and ended with intrapersonal but with interpersonal communication which has really help us to share experience with one another.

• Background of the Study

Obot Akara is located in the South East of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State. It was created in 1996 yearnings for more state and Local Government during the regime of the late Gen. Sani Abacha.

Thus, on December 4, 1996, in the nationwide broadcast, the late Gen. Sani Abacha then head of state and commander-in-chief of the Federal Republic announced to an anxious nation, the creation of six (6) new states and additional One Hundred and Eighty three (183) Local Governments. Thus the birth Obot Akara Local Government Area comprising of

• Ikot Abia
• Nto Edino
• Obot Akara Clans

Without prejudice, it would not be wrong to say that Obot Akara Local Government was created out of the former Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area. Obot Akara share boundaries with Essien Udim, Ikono, Ini, Ikot Ekpene and Ikwuano and Isialangwa Local Government Area in Abia State.

• Statement of the Problem

Community development is often aimed at gathering people of different background to work in other to arrive at a common objective. In every community there is great need for effective form of communication to mobilize the people. In almost all communities in Obot Akara Local Government, it is observed that apart from radio messages which are not effective and adequate, no other prominent form of communication to sensitize the people other than interpersonal means of communication such as opinion leaders and community leaders.

It is on this premise that this study becomes highly necessary in order to find out the effectiveness of interpersonal communication in community development of Obot Akara Local Government Area.