Introduction: Before the coming of the Europeans in Nigeria, there was nothing like Nigeria or Nigerian state, what existed were relatively autonomous villages, towns and ethnic group each existed on its own with minimal contact, usually limited to trades and social transactions and little political relationship with other. After the establishment of native authorities in their most rudimentary forms, the main functions of native authorities were to maintain law and order. The first native authorities ordinance recognized traditional rulers as native authorities. Local government as corporate body become modernized in 1976 when local government was recognized as a third tier of government. Definition: it is important we understand the meaning of Local government before we discuss it contributions to ruler areas. Local government has been defined different way from different scholars. According to G. A. Odenigwe, it is a system of local administration under which local communities and towns are organised to maintain law and order, provide limited range of social services and public amenities and encourage cooperation and participation of the inhabitants in joint endeavour towards the improvement of their living. Others said Local government is an extension of government from central to the local government communities arrived at ensuring efficiency in community development. Therefore, the presence of local government administration in a given area is viewed from the fact that latent human and natural resources abundant in the grassroot are harnessed for a progressive transformation of the political, economic and socio-cultural system of not only the headquarters but the surrounding. Therefore, Local Government in Nigeria can be defined or recognized as the third tier of governmental activity. It is government at the local level exercised through representative councils established by law to exercise specific powers within defined areas. These powers should give the council substantial control over local affairs as well as the staff and institutional and financial powers to initiate and direct the provisions of services and to determine and implement projects so as to complement the activities of the state and Federal Governments in their areas, and to ensure, through devolution of functions to these councils through the active participation of the people and their traditional institutions, that local initiative and response to local needs and conditions are maximized. Local Government is expected therefore, to do precisely what the word government implies i.e. governing at the grassroots or local level. Objective of Local Government Ruler Areas. The need for decentralization by devolution is further supported by the fact that centralization inhibits the active participation of the citizens in the running of their own affairs, which in most cases can lead to despotism. Local Governments are established for a number of reasons: (a) to promote local freedom or autonomy (b) to provide local services or infrastructural facilities (c) to promote national unity through efficiency of administration (d) to enhance grassroots democracy. Local Government constitutes the most critical level of government at which the momentum to sustain national development can be created.
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:12:38 +0000
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