Project Materials

CHAPTER ONE

INTRPDUCTION

1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Local governments around the world use a variety of strategies and approaches to promote good governance at the grassroots level. The government at the grassroots is known as local government. Local government exists as a result of the democratic process and the full involvement of people at the grassroots level in decision making. Its establishment serves two purposes. First, it serves as an administrative body for providing goods and services to the citizens of the locality; Second, as a democratic framework for full community representation in decision-making at the local government level. Local government is critical to the social growth of rural communities, whether rural or urban. The government is nearest to the rural areas because it provides administration and service delivery to people at the local levels. It also helps in the administrative and democratic growth of the grassroots. According to Sikander (2015), societal, political, and economic change is significant and genuine when it begins at the grassroots, or the lowest level of society. According to Mbieli (2018), no country can be considered industrialized if its villages lag behind and its cities are ultra-modern. Local governments are responsible for balancing the equations between cities and villages by planning programs in order to achieve public policies.

Globally, governments have pursued different types of public finance and human resource management reforms to improve local government efficiency in fields such as governance, disclosure, rule of law enforcement, and service delivery to the general public. Human resources and funding are the lifeblood of every government, private or governmental. It is the lubricant for the wheel of good administration at the local government level. Finance and human resources, according to Aborishade and Marshall (1981), are like the threads that run through the fabric; if the thread is pulled incorrectly at one end, it will damage the shape of the cloth and ruin its elegance. As a result, finance and human resource management of any organisation must be managed with caution and disbursed in accordance with established rules and regulations. A sound financial and human resource administration is at the core of the financial and human resource management guiding values of efficiency, efficacy, and equity. Efficiency is the potential to deliver optimal results at the lowest possible cost; productivity is concerned with the relevance of spending in achieving management objectives, while fairness guarantees justice and fair play in all management operations. The basic functions of financial and administrative services in a competitive, reliable, and cost effective manner are the overarching element in local government financial and human resource management. Furthermore, the political impunity of state governors has hampered the efficient management of local local government finances and human resources thus undermining local government development (Otinche, 2014). The art and science of financial planning, managing, organizing, and reviewing municipal government financial and human capital in order to accomplish the right priorities, strategies, and success expectations are at the heart of financial and human resource management. The goal of financial and human resource management in local government is consistent with the three components listed above. According to Olowe (2011), financial and human resource management is the management of a company’s finances and employees in order to meet corporate or organizational goals. The term management refers to the planning, coordination, supervision, and monitoring of an organization’s financial and human capital. Financial and human resource management are the necessary measures taken at the Local Government level to ensure adequate revenue collection and further use of those financial and human resources in accordance with Local Government priorities, strategies, and public expectations.

1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The main issue that most local governments face is a shortage of sufficient financial and human capital to execute multiple growth programs. It should be noted that since the early 1990s, there has been a significant decline in the overall amount of funds allocated to local governments in Nigeria, as well as a shortage of sufficient manpower. Local government allocations are being hijacked by state governors, used for electioneering campaigns, and exchanged among political Godfathers and representatives of state legislatures, which is one of the causes of a lack of sufficient finance and human resources. In modern times, local governments are responsible for providing basic goods and services to their residents in a simpler, cheaper, and more effective way. Local government is the level of government in Nigeria that creates the impetus for long-term national growth. Local government-initiated rural development is expected to include various projects such as the construction and maintenance of kilometers of rural roads; borehole and deep wells sunk or rehabilitated and operated by the local government; rural electrification; and rural population empowerment programs. This may be reflected in terms of the increased standard of life enjoyed by citizens as a result of the primary health care service given, the purchase and delivery of fertilizer to farmers at a subsidized cost, the effective and productive administration of primary education, and the regularity and quality of public enlightenment programs provided and enjoyed by the rural population. The effectiveness and efficiency with which these services are provided qualifies local government as a viable instrument of rural development. These issues must be solved in order to alleviate the seriousness of the problem for Nigerians living in rural areas. However, beyond these factors, the dismal failure of previous regimes in Nigeria to address the issue of hunger and poor rural living conditions can be traced back to the government’s reluctance to explore the democratic approach to governance in local government. Much focus and consideration has not been paid to the fact that, in addition to government efforts, the rural population will meaningfully contribute to the growth of their welfare (Alila, 1998). Furthermore, the majority of rural programs are funded by outside sources (i.e. legislative allocations), with a focus on construction investments that are not targeted at the general public. All of these corruptive practices have contributed significantly to the issue of insufficient finance and manpower, which has made successful service delivery in rural areas difficult. As a result, this study seeks to resolve the issue of insufficient financial and human capital, which has posed a significant challenge to grassroots growth.

1.3 AIMS OF THE STUDY

In line with the statement of research problems the aim of the study is human and financial resource administration in Local government

1) To examine the role of local government administration in rural development

2) To evaluate relationship between human resources and local government administration in Nigeria

3) To determine the relationship between financial resources and local government administration

4) To evaluate the benefits of human and financial resources of local government administration

5) To recommend ways of improving local government administration through an effective human and financial resources administration

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1) what is the role of local government administration in rural development?

2) What is the relationship between human resources and local government administration in Nigeria?

3) What is the relationship between financial resources and local government administration?

4) What are the benefits of human and financial resources of local government administration?

5) What are the ways of improving local government administration through an effective human and financial resources administration?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

In line with the statement of research problems and the objectives of this thesis, the following hypothesis will be tested:

Hypothesis 1:

HO: There is no significant relationship between human resources and local government administration in Nigeria

H1:There is a significant relationship between human resources and local government administration in Nigeria

Hypothesis 2:

HO: There is no significant relationship between financial resources and local government development in Nigeria

H1:There is a significant relationship between financial resources and local government development in Nigeria

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study would enable the researcher to pass their experience on the subject matter to commercial centers,government ministries, NGOS, schools (students)to serve as a medium for further research

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The Study Would Cover Human and Financial Resources Administration In Local Government (A Case Study Of NgorOkpala Local Government Area Of Imo State)

1.8 LIMITATION OF STUDY

Financial constraint– Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint– The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Development: Relates to realizing potential, growth or expansion of something, or making something more effective. Put together simply, community development is the act of growing, expanding or making more effective groups of people who have mutual interests.

Rural Development: As used in this study, the word “Rural Development” here connotes conscious integrated system and programmes designed to uplift and improve the general standard of living of the rural populace through the provision of basic social amenities in the rural areas by the government through the institutions which amongst other things, encourage the predication of people in the process of development with the ultimate aim of developing human potentialities which is the basis for any development.

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.

Local Government: The term “local government” as used in this study mean local government as that tier of government closer to the people expected to serve as the basis of socio-economic development in the locality to the people at grass-root level. It can also be seen as a government that has been perceived as a panacea for the diverse problems of the diverse people with diverse culture.