THE BUREAUCRATIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF NKANU WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ENUGU STATE). A RESEARCH PROJECT MATERIAL ON PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
ABSTRACT
Since the evolution of Local Government in Nigerian in the early fifties, series of reforms have taken place to modernize the system. However, the 1976 reform among others can be said to be the most radical step taken in entrenching a multi-purpose unified and autonomous local government system in Nigeria. It can be aptly described as the inception of modern local government administration in Nigeria which aimed at not only serving as machinery for even and accelerated development and democratic process at the grass-roots but also provides the National Political System. Meanwhile, for better understanding of this system, the surrounding conditions, influences and forces that shape and modify them have to be identified and ranked in such a manner that the reciprocal impact of these institutions on their environment is employed. Furthermore results suggest that this project is aimed at educating and finding out the impact of environmental and bureaucratic influence on the local government administration in Nigeria.
CHAPTER ONE
1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The evolution of local Government in Nigeria predates colonialism. The system passed several phases VIZ pre-colonial, colonial and post colonial. During the period of pre-colonial, the government of what is known as Nigeria was local tradition rather than central and was mannered by traditional authorities such as Emirs, Sultan, Obar, Onis, Alafms, Obas Warrant chiefs and Ezes. There was therefore locally centralized machinery of government. The north had power concentrated in the hands of the “Emir”. In the East, there was a republic form. Government was highly decentralized and based on family heads or clan or “Umunna” or council of elders (Ndi Ichie) while in the West there was a kind of constitutional monarchy with the “obas” as the hem of affairs. In every park of Nigeria there exists machinery than run the affairs of Nigerians in their own district localities.
However the period of colonial was the British indirect rule system when the British got mandate to administer the dasin of River Nigeria. Sir Frederick Lugard took the title of high commissioner of the title of Northern Nigeria in 1906 where indirect rule was first introduced. The indirect rule system was not applied throughout Nigeria until 1916 when the native authority ordinance No14 was passed this era was described as golden age of British colonial Admmistration and traditional rulers between 1917 and 1949.