PROBLEMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

ABSTRACT

This research work was undertaken to find various sources of revenue generation and the problem associated with the collection of the revenue in local government in Nigeria.

Another objective of the project was also to find whether or not the federal allocation to local government areas was adequate and also the extent of resource adequacy, staff welfare affect revenue generation in Enugu North Local government area.

To guide this study, four research questions, a review of literature was evolved to broaden the research knowledge on what others have already done in the area for a realistic conclusion for the study. A questionnaire was developed and administered personally by the researcher to 50 staff of Enugu North Local government (20 senior  staff and 30 junior staff) to guard against any mortality of the questionnaire. The research employed two methods of data collection for the work namely interview and observation methods. It is expected that any suggestions made if applied will reduced the problem of revenue generation in Enugu North Local Government. There should be a participatory decision making process to ensure that the target objective are known to all staff.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       INTRODUCTION

1.1        BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

1.2        STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

1.3        PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

1.4        RESEARCH  QUESTIONS

1.5        SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

1.6        SCOPE OF THE STUDY

1.7        LIMTATIONS OF THE STUDY

CHAPTER TWO

2.0     LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1      CONCEPT OF REVENUE

2.2     ENUGU NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT

2.3    FUNCTIONS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA ANYAFO AMO (1994)

2.4    PROBLEMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

2.5    FINANCIAL TRANSFER IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL

2.6    INTERNAL SOURCES OF REVENUE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT

2.7    FUND ACCOUNTING AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

2.8    LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING SYSTEM

2.9    SUMMARY OF RELATED LITERATURE CHAPTER THREE,      RESEARCH DESIGNS AND METHODS

3.1    RESEARCH DESIGN

3.2    AREA OF THE STUDY

3.3    POPULATION OF STUDY

3.4    SAMPLE AND SAMPLING PROCEDURE

3.5    INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION

3.6    METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0    DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

4.1    PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0       SUMMARY OF FINDINGS/ CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1        SUMMARY OF FINDING, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION,

5.2       RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

5.3       DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

5.4        CONCLUSIONS

5.5       IMPLICATIONS OF THE RESULTS

5.6       RECOMMENDATIONS

5.7       SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

REFERENCE

APPENDIX

LIST OF TABLES

4.1        To what extent are the resources available in Enugu North Local Government adequate for effective revenue generation.

4.2        To what extent are the objectives of Enugu North Local Government being achieved.

4.3        To  what extent do communication gap in Enugu North Local Government affects its productivity

4.4        To what extent has lack of welfare to staff of Enugu North Local government affect their productivity.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION 

1.1      BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Local government is a form of devolution OF the political power of the state. In other words it is the government at the gross roots which is designed to serve as an instrument for rural development.  According to the United Nations office for public administration, local government is the political sub-division of a nation or (in a federal system) a state which is constituted by law and has substantial control of local affairs including the powers to impose taxes and exact labour for prescribed purposes.

It can also be purposely created by law or constitution for local communities by which they manage their local public affairs within the limits of the law or constitution it started as far back as colonial days when native authorities were established in their rudimentary forms. This represent a system of indirect rule which aimed at establishing a form of local administration it forms the third tiers of government. In order words a local government can be defined as government at a level exercised through representation councils established by law to exercise specific powers within a specified locally. The governing body of such an entity is either elected or selected locally. The native authorities provided a from  of stable  local administration which strengthened the base of the colonial government.

In the year 1950 – 1951, the first elected local government council’s base on the British model came on the science and the former eastern and western regions although the traditional members constituted a maximum of 25% work force in most of the concids. The emergency of members elected on political basis pared way for the withdrawal of traditional ruler from admin participation in local government administration in Nigeria. It is worthwhile to note that no central government can successfully carry on administration wholly from the capital through the civil servant’s at the headquarters. In the light of this, the need for a form of decentralization such that will enable the government to reach out to people in the grass roots level became necessary. From this point of view, it could be inferred that local government are expected to bring political and economic changes to the majority of Nigerian’s who are residing at the local government areas. The creation of local government makes for even development. It is the expected role of economic and social transformation of the local government that necessitated the decision to increase the share of local government in the federal account to twenty percent last five years and also to great financial autonomy to local governments which has hitherto been in practice it is in the bid to find out the problem of the revenue generated in the local government area over the years that this project is instituted.

1.2    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The problems of the study includes

1.   Appraising the extent  of adequacy of resources in Enugu North Local Government  area from revenue generation effectiveness

2.  Finding the extent to which the objectives of the Enugu North Local Government Arae are being achieved.

3.  Highlighting how communication gap among Enugu North Local government staff effect the productivity.

4.  Examining how management style affect the staff welfare and productivity of the staff welfare and productivity of the Enugu North Local Government tap.

5.   Showing areas where the local government can improve on revenue generation.

1.2      PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This research work will  attempt to highlight the financial and other control regulations put in place to ensure effective and efficient revenue generation and management of the local government areas in Nigeria.

1.3        RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.     To what extent are the resources available in Enugu North Local Government adequate for effective revenue generation?

2.    To what extent are the objectives of the Enugu North Local Government being achieved?

3.   To what extent do communication gap in Enugu North Local Government affects its productivity?

4.   To what extent has lack of welfare to staff of Enugu North Local Government affected their productivity in terms of revenue generation and management?

1.4     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of this research work shall be to highlight the consequence of improved internally generated revenue for local government in Nigeria and Enugu North Local Government in particular. Authorities in local government  mattes have made it clear that effective and efficient local government administration depend on the financial resources available to such individual local authorities.

The study will also pin point to all involved in local administration that for there to be less incidence of rates and fees avasion, fund collected  from these sources should be channeled towards the improvement of the life of the people. No body shall be willing to pay when there  was no meaningful projects embarked upon by the local government authorities that the provision of tax  paid by the populates. Therefore the incidence of tax evasion could be lined to lack of improved standard of living in the way of provision of social amenities by the  local authorities.

Furthermore, the study will also provide a means through which mismanagement and misappropriate of fund would be reduced in the local government in Nigeria with this there would be more funds available for development of the rural areas.

The work will also be of immense help to those local government chairmen, administrators as well as intending  researchers on this topic in the related topic. It will also be useful to young researchers who may carry out such studies.

1.6    SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this work is limited to Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu state.