CORRUPTION AND GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT (A CASE STUDY OF AKOKO SOUTH WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ONDO STATE NIGERIA)

CORRUPTION AND GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT (A CASE STUDY OF AKOKO SOUTH WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ONDO STATE NIGERIA)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY 

Nigeria is a country endowed with abundant and human resources, with a population of over 150 million people; the most populous country in Africa. At the time of her political independence, on 1st October 1960, Nigeria excelled in production of agricultural produce such as groundnut, palm oil, cocoa, cotton, beans, timber and hides and skins Then, during the oil boom period of the seventies Nigeria made headlines with her oil wealth, as a country richly endowed with oil and natural gas resources capable of financing a number of important projects to meet basic consumption and development needs (Salisu, 2000). With per capital income of around $1,100 during the late 1970’s Nigeria was regarded as the fastest growing country in Sub-Sahara Africa (Salisu, 2000). 

Yet it remains predominantly underdeveloped due to the scourge of corruption that has corroded it. Corruption denies the ordinary citizen the basic means of livelihood, it worsen unemployment and erodes our image as a nation and as individual (Goje, 2010). It has undermined Nigeria’s economic growth and development potential, with a per capital income of $340, Nigeria now ranks amongst the least developed countries in the World Bank League table (Salusi, 2000). Nigeria’s higher education system once regarded as the best in Sub-Sahara Africa is in deep crisis. Health services are woefully inadequate, graduate unemployment is rising and so too is crime rate (Salisu, 2000).

Corruption in its simplest form simply refers to as a practical problem involving the outright theft, embezzlement of funds or other appropriation of state property, nepotism, and granting of favors to personal acquaintance. It has been argued that corruption involves behaviors which deviate from the moral and constitutional requirements (Harsh, 1993).

This culture of corruption which is rampant at national level constitutes a threatening force to development at grassroots level. It has been a significant factor leading to the general failure of local government as well as an excuse for suspending representative institution (Humes and Ola, 2004). Corrupt practices have been deleterious not only because they divert funds from public purposes to private purses but also they undermine the vitality of local government.

Nigeria and elsewhere in the world is to facilitate grassroots development. The objectives of grassroots development in Nigeria include the following: Reducing the level of rural poverty and rural unemployment; Integration of the grassroots communities into the national socio-economic and political development through effective participation in their own affairs; Improve incomes of the rural people whose major economic activity is agriculture and non-farm activities such as craft, petty trading, among others; and Improve the quality of life of the people through the provision of basic necessities such as food, potable water, electricity supply, health-care services, schools, etc (Olayide andZoaka, 2010).

Since a large percentage of the populations are mostly found at the grassroots level, the development of rural areas cannot be over-emphasized. Thus, development of rural areas impacts positively on per capita income and food production. Development of the grassroots has been the concern of every responsible and responsive government (Yusuf, 1999). 

Ibrahim (1980) defined grassroots development (rural development) as the process by which the standard of living at the grassroots level is enhanced politically, socially and economically. This definition views grassroots development as a multi-dimensional process involving important changes in social

Yusuf (1999) further stated that rural development is the outcome of a series of quantitative and qualitative changes occurring among a given rural population and whose converging effects indicate, in time, a rise in the standard of living and favourable changes in the way of life of the people concerned. In terms of level of economic development, quality of life, access to opportunities, facilities and amenities, standard of living and general viability, the gap between the urban and rural areas in Nigeria is very wide. The rural areas are grossly neglected as far as development projects and infrastructure are concerned. The local governments are therefore, saddled with the responsibility of raising rural productivity and income, diversify rural economy and enhance the welfare of rural dwellers. Since agriculture is the main economic activity in the rural areas, the most effective instrument for the realization of grassroots development has been agricultural programmes (Olayide andZoaka, 2010).

Nigeria is a country with a federal system of government where there is constitutional division of powers among the levels of government that is the central, state and local governments. Local government is the third tier of government in the country. It is often referred to as the government at the grassroots level. Development would not be meaningful if it does not affect the rural dwellers; it is as a result of this that local government was created to ensure effective and efficient service delivery to the people at the grassroots level. 

The creation of the local government in many countries stems from the need to facilitate development at the grassroots. The importance of local government among others is a function of its ability to generate sense of belongingness, safety and satisfaction among its populace. In Nigeria socio –political context, with multiplicity of culture, diversity of languages and differentiated needs and means, the importance of local government in ensuring unity and preserving peculiar diversities cannot be underestimated. In spite of the relevance of local government, there are some problems that have faced it in the performance of its functions especially in areas of service delivery at the grassroots. 

Since a large percentage of the populations are mostly found at the grassroots level, the development of rural areas cannot be over-emphasized. Thus, development of rural areas impacts positively on per capita income and food production. Development of the grassroots has been the concern of every responsible and responsive government. Yusuf (1999) further stated that rural development is the outcome of a series of quantitative and qualitative changes occurring among a given rural population and whose converging effects indicate, in time, a rise in the standard of living and favorable changes in the way of life of the people concerned. 

In terms of level of economic development, quality of life, access to opportunities, facilities and amenities, standard of living and general viability, the gap between the urban and rural areas in Nigeria is very wide. The rural areas are grossly neglected as far as development projects and infrastructure are concerned. 

The challenges and prospects of rural development in Nigerian have been of great concern to the different tiers of government due to the rate of rural-urban migration. Onibokukun (1987) sees rural development to be faced with the paradox that the production oriented rural economy relies heavily on non-productive people who are all ill-equipped with outdated tools, technical information , scientific and cultural training and whose traditional roles and access to resources pose problems for their effective incorporation into modern economics systems. 

The consumption oriented urban economy is flooded with people many of who are either unemployed or unemployable, or marginally employed or underemployed in the urban centres where they choose to live. As a result of this mass exodus, the rural areas have become qualitatively depopulated and are progressively less attractive for social and economic investments while the urban areas are becoming physically congested, socially unhealthy and generally uneconomic to maintain (Onibokukun, 1987). 

In spite of the huge resources committed to rural development in Nigeria, rural development still remains a mirage because the local government authorities who are saddled with the responsibilities have not been able to perform up to expectation. The expectation was that the third tier of government would act as a catalyst to rapid and sustained development at the grassroots level. Yet, the hope for rapid and sustained development has been a mirage as successive councils have grossly underperformed in almost all the areas of their mandate. Apart from the palpable mismanagement and misapplication of funds currently witnessed in most local governments in the country, the resources available which otherwise should be used for development programmes at the grass –roots are being used to service bloated elected officials and unproductive bureaucracies (Obasanjo, 2003)

The study of the development of local government as a tier of government in Nigeria will not be meaningful, if it is not preceded by an examination of the philosophical consideration underlying the local government system (Alex, 1987). The structure, composition and functions of local government are influenced by the political beliefs of those who have the authority and responsibility for determining the main features of the local government system. 

This relationship between values or political beliefs and structure for the distribution of powers in society has been argued by Stanley Hoffmann (1959) as he wrote: any preference for a certain scheme of area division of powers presupposes a decision on the ends for which power is to be exercised a decision on the values power should serve and on the ways in which these values will be served. 

Regardless of nomenclature, local government is a creation of British colonial rule in Nigeria. It has overtime experienced change in name, structure and composition; Between 1930s and 1940s, for instance, local government was known as chief-in-council and chief-and-council, where traditional rulers were given pride of place in the scheme of things. In the 1950s, election was introduced according to the British model in the western and eastern parts of the country with some measure of autonomy in personnel, financial and general administration (Nwabueze, 1982). It was on this premise that the rising tide of progress, growth and development experienced in the local governments in these areas was based. 

During this period, heterogeneity was the hallmark of local government as there was no uniformity in the system and the level of development was also remarkably different. The introduction of 1976 reforms by military administration of General Obasanjo brought about uniformity in the administrative structure of the system. The reforms introduced a multi-purpose single tier local government system (Ajayi, 2000). 

The reforms also introduced population criterion under which a local government could be created. Consequently, a population of within 150,000 to 800,000 was considered feasible for a local government. This was done to avoid the creation of non-viable local council and for easy accessibility. There was provision for elective positions having the chairman as executive head of local government with supervisory councilors constituting the cabinet. This was complemented by the bureaucrats and professionals, such as Doctors, Engineers etc who were charged with the responsibility of implementing policies (1976 Guidelines). 

In 1991, a major landmark reform was introduced as the system had legislative arm. In addition, the Babangida administration increased the number of local government from 301 in 1976 to 453 in 1989 and 589 in 1991, the Abacha regime also increased the number to 774 local councils that we have today and the administrative structure also underwent some changes (Ajayi, 2000). In summary, it can be said that no public institution in Nigeria has been so subjected to frequent reforms than local government.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The key problem facing most local governments is lack of adequate finance to implement various developmental programmes. It would be recalled that since early 1990s, there have been tremendous increase in the total amount of funds available to local governments in Nigeria. The reasons for the lack of adequate finance can be attributed to the fact that local government allocations are been hijacked by state governors, used for electioneering campaigns and shared among political God-fathers and members of state assemblies. 

One of the fundamental problems of contemporary Nigeria is corruption. It has thrived, progressed and flourished unabated. Corruption has been institutionalized to the point of accepting it as a part of our system. Albeit corruption is ubiquitous, it is found all over the world, but the degree of its manifestation varies from system to system (Lawal and Oladunjoye, 2010: 232).

Corruption is the greatest bane of local government administration in Nigeria. At the grassroots level, corruption has been canonically accommodated, entertained, and celebrated within the system. In the local government setting corruption is misnomer labeled and euphemistically referred to as “Egunje” (a slogan which means “illegal offer” in Nigeria) and a major hindrance to good government. 

It has been identified as one of the problems confronting effective local government administration in Nigeria, also non-adherence to provisions of the financial memorandum (FM), conspicuous consumption of the part of the local officials, lifestyles that are not commensurate with official sources of income, imposition of leaders on the local government through corrupted political process and low wages of local government officials (Ali, 2008). 

The problems seen in the course of this study are as follows:-

i. Lack of Autonomy 

ii. Unskilled Workers 

iii. Leadership problem 

iv. Administrative Inefficiency 

v. Inadequate and Poor Budgetary Allocation 

Some of the areas where corruption thrives in local government in Nigeria include the following: 

a)  Inflation of prices of bought items; 

b) Over estimation of cost of projects; 

c)  The ghost worker syndrome; 

d) Poor financial base and limited revenue 

However, the efficient and effective provision of basic amenities and social infrastructures for the people at the grass root is key factors to the existence of any government. The local government councils are required to serve the public interest in areas of constructing roads, public markets, healthcare centres, drainages, transportation, motor parks, building primary schools, among others. This is because, local Administration is the concern of the grass root people in the provision of social and economic amenities to the rural area where they come from, making it government at the door step of rural inhabitants.

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study will attempt to provide answers to the following research questions;

i. What are the causes of corruption at the grassroots particularly in Akoko South West Local Government Area, Ondo State?

ii. What are the implications of corruption for the development of Akoko South West Local Government Area, Ondo State? 

iii. What are the possible measures that can be taken to eradicate corruption and accelerate development in Akoko South West Local Government Area, Ondo State?

1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of the paper is to examine the challenges facing the administration of local governments in Nigeria. Other specific objectives include:

i. To examine the causes of corruption at the grassroots particularly in Akoko South West Local Government Area, Ondo State?

ii. To examine the implications of corruption for the development of Akoko South West Local Government Area, Ondo State? 

iii. To examine the possible measures that can be taken to eradicate corruption and accelerate development in Akoko South West Local Government Area, Ondo State?

iv. To suggest appropriate recommendations within the context of the identified problems.

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Local government as the third tiers of government should not be scrapped or changed rather it should be strengthened, democratized and the federal government should enact laws that promote transparency and accountability at all level of governance, most especially, at the local level of governance. 

In this regard, it will, be crucial to strengthen institutions of horizontal accountability and empowerment of civil society organizations to monitor the performance of Local governments officials and report any found wanting to anti-corruption agent. Moreover, there is a great need to reform the structure of government at all levels (Federal, State and local government) in Nigeria to be accountable to the masses of the people that elect them to the political office. 

These, if done, will enhance efficient and effective service delivery at the grassroots level and sustaining its future. As reported in the Sun online Newspaper, May 9, 2014; ‘The Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government of the ongoing National Conference has recommended the scrapping of the local government tier of government, and the delisting of the 774 existing local councils from the Nigerian Constitution. If that recommendation scales through, all the councils will be disbanded, and they will cease to be a constitutional third tier of government. 

They will consequently no longer receive statutory allocations from the Federation Account. Responsibility for the duties now carried out by the councils would pass to the respective states, giving the country a two tier system of government comprising the federal government and the state governments.

1.6 SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY

This study will be used to many people who may want to know the cause, implications and measures of corruption and grassroots development in any communities/society, organization, country.

However, local government is seen as government by local inhabitants freely elected to carryout programmes to improve the wellbeing of the people at the grass root. Administration parse, is getting things done, therefore local government Administration entails the whole process of decision making at the local government level or selected persons by central or state governments to carry out certain functions for the benefit of the local inhabitants.

Moreover, without the local government, there cannot be considered any political system to be comprehensive and complete. Three distinct reasons are put forwarded in order to create the awareness about the vitality of local government and these reasons are as following: a. Training platforms so that masses are politically educated, b. Training foundation for the development of strong political leadership, and c. System ensures that accountability of government is maintained. These considerations even make more crucial and strengthen the role of local government. Therefore, these reasons are explained more in depth below.

Mass’ political education’s training ground: The foundation and formation of local government isaffirmed and advocated because it is a fundamental source to train the masses about mobilization and political education. 

Political leadership’s training ground: The basic foundation for political leadership is served inshape of training provided by local government, particularlyfor those individuals who intent to further prosper their career in national politics.

Capacity of Government Accountability: In general perspective, local government is viewed as adefence mechanism, especially against subjective power bygovernment, which means that any unsound concentration ofpower merged at the centre can be unhealthy for progressand this is prevented by the local government. Theoppression due to the power constrained at centralization isdiscouraged by means of local government as it claims to doso.

1.7 RESEARCH METHOD

This study adopts the descriptive survey design. One hundred (100) participants of Akoko South West Local Government Area, Ondo State were selected, Nigeria. The method employed for this study is primary source. Primary source involve the use of interview, designed and distributed questionnaires and the source is purely quantitative in nature. The instrument utilized for the study was a questionnaire named “Corruption and Grassroots Development Questionnaire” (CGDQ). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Geographically, the study is restricted to Akoko South West Local Government Area, Ondo State, Nigeria, but due to time, money and other factors it will be limited to only five communities (Oka, Akungba, Iwaro, Supare, Oba) in Akoko South West Local Government Area, Ondo State.

1.9 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

Chapter one of this study deal with the background of the study, statement of the problem, research questions, objective of the study, scope of the study, significance of the study, research methodology, and limitation of the study. The second chapter reviewed the available related literature on the corruption and grassroots development in Nigeria establishment, the causes and solution for the local government corruption together the challenges confronting it were discussed.Chapter three deals with the research method while in chapter four the collected data were analyzed interpreted and discussed.The last chapter looked briefly into the previous chapters and gave the conclusion and recommendations. 

PLEASE, print the following instructions and information if you will like to order/buy our complete written material(s).

HOW TO RECEIVE PROJECT MATERIAL(S)

After paying the appropriate amount (#5000) into our bank Account below, send the following information to our Whatsapp 08061135915 OR bavicola13@gmail.com, edupedia17@gmail.com :

(1) Your project topics

(2)  Email Address

(3)  Payment Name

(4) Teller Number

We will send the DOWNLOAD LINK for your material(s) immediately we receive bank alert

BANK ACCOUNTS

Account Name: Bakare Victor Oladapo
Access Bank         0759882072
First Bank            3077844205
Skye Bank            3023641985
GT Bank               0262146570

HOW TO IDENTIFY SCAM/FRAUD

As a result of fraud in Nigeria, people don’t believe there are good online businesses in Nigeria.

But on this site, we have provided “chapter one” of all our project topics and materials in order to convince you that we have the complete materials.

Secondly, we have provided our Bank Account on this site. Our Bank Account contains all information about the owner of this website. For your own security, all payment should be made in the bank.

No Fraudulent company uses Bank Account as a means of payment, because Bank Account contains the overall information of the owner.

CAUTION/WARNING

Please, DO NOT COPY any of our materials on this website WORD-TO-WORD. These materials are to assist, direct you during your project.  Study the materials carefully and use the information in them to develop your own new copy. Copying these materials word-to-word is CHEATING/ ILLEGAL because it affects Educational standard, and we will not be held responsible for it. If you must copy word-to-word please do not order/buy.

That you ordered this material shows you have agreed not to copy word-to-word.