ABSTRACT
This study focuses on projects administration in the
Idemili North and South Local Governments of Anambra State. The problem that
attracted this study is poor projects administration/implementation in the two
categories of Local Government in Nigeria. Most urban local governments are
over crowded, dirty and noisy and the rural ones lack basic facilities. These
unwanted elements are not unconnected with the careless way and manner projects
are implemented in these local bureaucracies. The survey research method was
adopted in eliciting information through questionnaire. The population of the
study comprised junior, senior and managerial staff of the Idemili North and
South Local Government Areas of Anambra State. The multi-stage (2-stage)
sampling technique was used in selecting groups that fell into the sample.
Three research questions and three null hypothesis guided this study, and the
statistical instrument chi-square (X2) was used to analyze the data.
The findings showed that irregular and inadequate funding, political
interference and lack of extrinsic motivational factors are seriously working
against effective projects implementation in the local governments. Sequel to
these findings the researcher hereby recommends that the well to do community
people should be sensitized to help in projects implementation of their area,
zero-base budgeting system to be adopted to check abandonment of projects, as
well as adopting external projects implementation monitoring.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
It is a truism that every
organization has in its entirety a combination of people, working together with
a view to achieving common organizational goals and objectives.
As a matter of fact, since
people of various tribes and different age brackets are involved, it becomes
obviously clear that administration of human and material resources must also
be involved.
Administration must exist in
any organization set-up for a defined purpose. According to Nwosu (1980.31),
administration generally takes place in the context of organization which means
in the context of a planned system of Cooperative effort in which individuals
have assigned functions. In other words, local government administration is
concerned with the management of the affairs of her areas.
One of the major problems
that confront urban areas is poor execution of projects in their area, which
essentially hinges on how to deployed the available human and material
resources to meet the welfare needs of the local populace.
However, like in many other
third-world countries, local government administration has been described as
inefficient and incapable of accomplishing the goals and objectives of the
communities under their care.
The
explanation for this are discerned from:
1.
Weak financial base of the local
government
2.
Influence of politics
3.
Lack of effective political
leadership
4.
Lack of Skilled Personnel
5.
Lean motivational packages
6.
Financial mismanagement
Orewa and Adewumi
(1983:99-100) indicated that even in the early 1950s, during the colonial era
that Nigerian Local Governments have been unable to efficiently and effectively
perform their statutory functions and this was attributed to lack of financial
resources and maladministration.
This situation eventually led
to the take-over of some local government functions by the Federal Government
starting from the period of the tier system of local government (1950).
This loss of functions which
increased with the creation of states in 1967, continued until the far reaching
Local Government Reforms of 1976.
As a matter of fact, in its
bid to make for uniformity in both structure and organization, the 1976 local
government reforms in Nigeria made no distinction between small and large local
government areas, and also between rural and urban local governments.
It only noted differences in
their sizes caused by population and individual resources (human and material)
and recognized the possibility of dividing one local government unit into lower
tiers called Administrative and Development Areas, etc. But they would not be
accorded Federal Governments recognition or fiscal allocation (Reform Guide
lines 1976:5).
It is actually true that
project administration which involves planning and implementation is an
after-math of the Pyramidal tradition of bureaucratic organization, which
failed to achieve the set objectives at the end of the targeted period of time.
So project administration or management emerged as a “Panacea” to the
multifarious problems of the traditional bureaucratic organizations. The
American Heritage Dictionary defines a project as an undertaking requiring
concentrated effect. Harrison (1945) on his own part defines a project as a
non-routine, non-repetitive undertaking normally with discrete time,
financially and technical performance goals.
From the foregoing, project
administration or management must be within both time and estimates, as well as
standard specifications.
Project administration or
project implementation strategies starts with planning. But in most local
governments in Nigeria implementation precedes planning. This is an aberration
with failure as its resultant effects. It is these problems arising from poor
or non implementation of projects at the local government level that this study
is set to address.
1.2
Statement of the Problem
A number of reforms has been
put in place in the local government system in Nigeria. The most prominent of
all of them being the 1976 reforms.
The reason for the reforms,
is that there is problem of non-performance with respect to provision and
general low standard of living. The principal aim has been to give local
governments definite and precise functions and strategies of implementing the projects which were designed
to promote development at the grassroots.
Most public organization have
been unable to attain the organizational objectives for which they were set up.
Local government structure is not an exception in this case. Constitutionally,
local governments are charged with the responsibility of bringing governance closer
to the rural dwellers. This appears far from being attained due to frequent
fraudulent practices in the country. What is responsible for the dysfunctional
of this structure of governance? Is this shortcoming traceable to the poor
funding of the system?
However, inefficiency, low
productivity and bureaucratic red-tapism are common characteristics of public
service especially local governments. Since local governments are unable to
satisfy their statutory functions they are seen by many as conveyor belts and
draining pipes of government scare resources. They are busy doing something but
at the end achieving nothing. They have large workforce and no records of
application of extrinsic motivational factors that would make them viable.
Despite the fact that the
1976 reform of the local government system by the federal government was very
clear on the statutory functions that ought to be executed by the local
governments, yet the general public still
continued to complain about the unproductiveness of the local government due to
various factors. Management of most local governments in Anambra State, of
which Idemili North and South Local Governments are no exceptions are finding
it difficult to cater for the employees, pay their salaries and promote them as
and when due as is done in other establishments of both Federal and State
Governments.
As a result, there is a
luke-worm attitude to duty, low morale, lack of dedication and commitment, low
productivity and other negative work attitudes among the employees of the local
government.
1.3
Objectives of the Study
The
general objective of this study is on effective projects administration in
Idemili North and South Local Government. The specific objectives are
a. To find
out the factors that are impinging on effective projects implementation in the
two local government.
b. To
examine the effect of political interference on the projects and programmes of
the local governments.
c. To find
out factors (intrinsic or extrinsic) that impact on workers performance on
projects implementation in the two local government.
1.4
Significance of the Study
This study has both empirical
and theoretical significances and they are as detailed below:
Empirically, the outcome of
this research will be of great importance to all the tiers of government in the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, and employers of labour both in the private and
public sector organization. If all things are equal then managers who shall
adopt the recommendations of the study shall go a long way in checking threats
to industrial peace and harmony. The study will also reveal the various ways of
enhancing morale, dedication and sense of commitment in the local government
system.
Theoretically, it will
constitute a contribution in the field of public administration. This would
also serve as another source of knowledge in the management of human and
material resources of various establishments and organizations.
Finally, the study would help
the future researchers who would like to do a research in issues pertaining to
local governments in Nigeria.
1.5
Research Questions
These
research questions guided the study.
a.
What are the foundation and nature
of local government in Nigeria
b.
What factors are impinging on
effective project implementation in Idemili North and South Local Government
c.
Does political interference in the
projects and programmes of the local governments affect their productivity?
d.
Which motivational factors (intrinsic
or extrinsic) impact on workers performance on projects implementation in the
two local governments?
e.
How far have the Local Government
reforms helped matters?
f.
What relationship does the factor
that led to the collapse of National Assembly have with Nigerian Local
Government?
1.6
Research Hypothesis
Based
on the research questions, the following hypotheses guided the study.
1.
Ho:- Irregular or non availability
of funds does not affect project implementation in Idemili North and South
Local Governments
HI:- Irregular or non availability of funds affect project
implementation in Idemili North and South Local Government
2.
Ho:- Political interference on the
projects of the local governments does not undermine the achievement of
the
projects objectives.
Hi:-
Political interference on the projects of the local governments undermine the
achievement of the projects objectives
3.
Ho:- Non-effective external
supervision makes workers in these local governments responsive to their duties
in projects implementation.
Hi:- Non-effective external supervision does not
make workers in these local governments responsive to their duties in projects
implementation
1.7
Scope and Limitations of Study
This study is restricted to
six communities in Idemili North and South local governments out of the
Seventeen Communities of the Local Governments. A certain population of the
workers in both local governments were also considered. The communities are
Ogidi, Oraukwu, Nkpor, Ojoto, Alor and Oba.
As a result of lean finances
of the researcher and unfavourable terrain, it was not possible for consistent
visitation of the communities while the research lasts.
Due to the education
background of rural dwellers, filling of the questionnaire proved to be a major
problem to the researcher. Consequently, the sample size was slightly affected.
Questionnaires were
administered to only people with some measure of literacy and residing in the
selected areas, so as to achieve reasonable responsiveness. It was also
discovered that there was general unwillingness and apathy with which the
people of the area viewed at academic work of this nature. Some people were
hesitant to freely give out information for this type of research. The above
hindrances not withstanding the research were carried out successfully.
1.8
Definition of Key Terms
Local Government Policy: This
involves decision making apparatus that is being used by Local
Government in the administration and implementation of its community
development projects or plans as appropriate.
Community Development: This
is a form of development that is restricted to a defined community
/rural areas, planned and executed separately or jointly between government
officials and the rural/community people.
Community development is not very different from other types of development,
all of which aim at bringing about an improved conditions and standards. It is
always advised that people of the area in which the project is being executed
should be involved in decision-making starting from the beginning.
Local Government: This
is the system of administration of districts by selected representatives
of the people who live there. In Nigeria, this is the third tier of government
with the ultimate aim of enhancing the development of the rural communities.
Rural Areas: These
are local government areas that are lacking in many infrastructural
amenities like electricity, pipe-borne water, roads and telecommunications,
health facilities, educational structures etc.
Urban Areas: These
are areas that have most of essential infrastructural facilities like
electricity industries, pipe-borne water, good health services centers like
well equipped hospitals etc.
Rural- Urban Migration: There
is a difference between rural and urban areas in Nigeria, whereas, urban
areas have essential infrastructural facilities rural areas have little or non
thus ths drift from rural to urban
areas and this christened Rural-urban migration or drift.
Poor-Policy Making and
Implementation: After enacting a policy, it
is incorporated in the financial plan to enable implementation be carried out.
However, as a result of omission or commission but more of commission and
perverted social values and political over tune, policies are badly conceived
and misdirected.
Urban-Congestion: Congestion
in Nigerian Urban Local Governments, finds its explanation in the
congestion of housing, roads, road traffic and space and is directly related to
over population and land-use abuses.
Over-Population: This
is one major human factor of urban environmental problem in Nigeria. It
is explained as the unrestricted influx of people to the urban centers beyond
the capacity of urban municipal infrastructure to accommodate.
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Item Type: Project Material | Size: 70 pages | Chapters: 1-5
Format: MS Word | Delivery: Within 30Mins.
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