University of Nigeria
Research Publications
GENEVIVE Megwa
Author
PG/M.Sc/04/35912
Leadership and Human Resources Development in the Nigerian Local Government System: A Case
Title Study of Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria.
Social Sciences Faculty
Public Administration and Local Government Department Department
April, 2007 Date Date
Signature
LEADERSHIP AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT IN THE NIGERIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY OF ELEME LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA.
GENEVIVE MEGWA PG/MSC/04/35912
A THESIS SUBMITTW TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA.
APRIL, 2007. TITLE PAGE
LEADERSHIP AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT IN THE NIGERIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY OF ELEME LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN RIVERS STATE OF NIGERIA. , I
CERTIFICATION I
GENEVIVE MEGWA, a post-graduate student with Reg. No. MScl04135912 in the Department of Public Administration and Local Government has satisfactorily completed the requirements of course and research work for the Award of a Master of Science (M.sc.) in Public Administration with Specialization in Human Resources Management. '
work embodied in. this thesis is original and has not been subhitted in part or in full for 4, I egree or certification of thisor any other ~nibkrsit~., I . .
Thesis Supervisor
......
C
Y IS * ., ,, . ."1- -7. , '>+ Head of Department, a , Dean, Faculty of Social Science
Public Administration and Local Government. APPROVAL PAGE
This Research work has been approved for the award of a Master of Science (M.Sc.) Degree in Public Administration and Local Government, University of Nigeria; Ns~ikka.
Prof. F. ~Fkoli
Project Supervisor
......
Prof. Okey lbeanu
" Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences DEDICATION
This work is dedicated to the Almighty God who gave me life and the knowledge to complete this research work, and to the less privileged in our society. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My sincere and devoted thanks go to God Almighty, and to my dynamic and academic mentor Prof. F. C. Okoli, who considered the actualization of my academic vision his task.
Also my profound gratitude goes to my other lecturers in the persons of Dr. Fab Onah, Dr. Mrs. Rose Onah, Dr. C. Ofuebe, Dr. T. Onyishi, Dr. Mrs. M. Obi, Dr. Ebonyi Ozor and Prof. N. N. Elekwa, our dedicated Head of Department (HOD). And to my able bodied friends, namely: Mr. Blessing Nwodike, Dr. & Mrs. Arthur Osaroeji, Dr. Okpe and others, namely: Mr. Chris Ogbonna, Mr. Athan Ikeh, Mrs. Regis Amaechi, Miss Ihuoma Okereke, Engr. Caesar Okereke, Miss Stella, Nnamani Desmond My class Rep. Ogonna & Benson Uhama in Italy.
And all my colleagues in the M.Sc./M.PA class, who contributed in various ways to the success of this study. My sincere thanks go to my parents, Chief (Sir) (Barr.) & Chief (Lady) S. 0. Megwa, for their parental .,,, . ."7- -7. , ' support and care, and my siblings Mary Joan, Gerald, Doris, Francis, Leonard, Chuks, and little Chima.
Additionally, I am grateful to the.various publishers, editors and authors , . . whose academic literature was used to achieve the objectives of this study.
And finally, to my darling husband, Chukwuma Igbogbahaka and the entire family of Dr. (Sir) (Chief) & Chief (Lady) B. 0. Igbogbahaka.
GENEVIVE MEGWA
APRIL, 2007. TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Page
Title Page...... i ... Certification...... 111 Approval Page...... iv
Dedication...... v Acknowledgements...... vi
Table of Contents...... vii Abstract...... x CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study...... 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem...... 2 1.3 Objectives of the Study...... 5
1.4 Significance of the Study-!:..:..,:':,.:.+ ...... 6 1.5 Scope and limitation of Study ...... 6 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODOLOGY
2.1 Literature Review...... 7 2.1.1 What is Leadership? ...... 7 2.1.2 Types of Leadership...... 9 2.1.3 Theories of Leadership...... 10 2.1.4 Behaviour/Style Theory...... 10 vii
2.1.5 Trait Theory of Leadership ...... 11 2.1.6 Situational Theory ...... 12 2.1.7 What is Human Resources Development? ...... 14 2.1.8 Human Resources Development and Human Resources Training 17 2.1.9 Management Development ...... 18 2.1.10 Importance of Human Resources Development in Eleme LGA 19 2.2 Hypothesis ...... 20 2.3 Operationalization of Key Concepts in the Hypothesis ...... 21 2.4 Methodology ...... 22 2.4.1 Area of Study ...... 22 2.4.2 Research Design ...... 22 2.4.3 Population of the Study ...... 22 2.4.4 Sample Size of the Study ...... 22 2.4.5 The Research Instrument ...... 23 2.4.6 Methods of Data Presentation and Analyses ...... 24 2.5 Theoretical Framework ...... 24 CHAPTER THREE:STUDY AREAIGENERAL INFORMATION .... 3.1 Background Information on Eleme local Government ... 26 3.1 Historical Background ...... 26 3.1 1 Political and Socio-Cultural Background ...... 30 3.2 Functions of Eleme Local Government ...... 30 3.3 Organizational Structure of Eleme Local Government Council ... 32 .. . Vlll
3.3.1 Legislative Arm...... 33 3.3.2 The Executive Arm...... 34 3.4 Personnel Management System of Eleme Local Government.. . 3 5 3.4.1 Rivers State Local Government Service Commission...... 35 3.4.2 Junior Staff Management Committee...... 36 3.5 Revenue Sources of Eleme Local Government...... 37 3.6 Problems of Revenue Source...... 38 CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
CHAPTER FIVE; SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATlONS
5.1 Summary...... 53 5.2 Conclusion...... 55
5.3 Recommendations. . . ,...... 56 < Bibliography
APPENDIX I . ."l. -7' , .$a APPENDIX I1
APPENDIX 111 ABSTRACT The aim of this Thesis is to assess the Leadership and Human Resources development with a focus on Eleme Local Government Area (L.G.A.). Interestingly, despite the numerous reforms which had granted autonomy to the Local Governments for good performance, not much success has been achieved by the local government.
The background of Eleme Local Government was examined. Survey research method, Questionnaire, Observation and Interview, were used to collect data from the juniorlsenior employees of Eleme Local Government to actualize the objective of the study. The collected data were presented and analyzed in tabular form, frequency distribution and percentages.
The study tested demonstrated that the four tested hypotheses could be held valid.
Conclusively, some useful. r~e,comendationswere made to support the objectives of the study for example it was suggested that there should be an increase in the number of qualified Personnel Management staff to enable the Personnel Management Department function effectively and also to ,I establish regular human resources development program for the local government employees in order to broaden their skills and knowledge in administrative matters. Also that the poor communication gap between the rural people and other tiers of Government should be improved. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ' A modern system of Local Government (L.G.) as a third tier government was introduced by the 1976 Local Government reforms initiated by the Federal Government of Nigeria (F.G.N.). Consequently, the implementation of these reforms was empowered with the responsibilities of developing the rural areas, by bringing the government nearer to the people and engineering development at the grass roots, as well as mobilizing the rural people in the process of development. The principal objectives of the 1976 reforms, as provided by the guidelines, were as follows: (a) To provide a two way communication between local communities and Government (both State and Federal).
*s (b) To provide appropriate services and aid development activities by delegating them to local representative bodies. (c) To mobilize human and material resources through the involvement of members of the public in their local development. ~o'achievethese objectives, the Federal Military Government (F.M.G.), in 1988, extended
the civil service Reforms to the.<,,..wl..t Local.~,Government , System as requested by the Local Government practitioners. These reforms (1988), as contained in the Federal Republic of
b Nigeria (F.R.N.) implementation guidelines on application of civil service reforms to Local Government Service (L.G.S.), were designed to achieve the following: It . . 1. Installation of a new Personnel Management System in the Local Government Service, and clear definition of the functions of the Local Government Service Commission (L.G.S.C.). 2. Establishment of mandatory Departments in the Local Government, namely; Departments of Personnel, Finance and Supply, Planning, Research and Statistics. 3. Creation of the Office of the Auditor-General for the Local Government and Local Government Audit Alarm Committee. Professionalisat ion of the local government service. Establishment of the position of Supervisory Council, Secretary to the Local Government and Treasurer. Chairman of the Local Government as the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer. Furthermore, the Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution in 1999, defined specific functions for the Local Governments in Nigeria as contained in the Fourth Schedule, Section 8, part I (functions of Local Government Council). The constitution specified the main functions of the local government in Nigeria, and further empowered them with resources, human and material, to achieve the designated objectives and functions. With these reforms the Federal and State Governments decided to support the local Government's with financial contributions and staff training. The Local Government now has a federation wide uniformity and was recognised as a single tier, multi-purpose entity having . corporate personality and clearly defined functions. These provisions were established to enable the Local Government achieve participatory democracy, effective and efficient performance in the area of provision of basic amenities and enhance the rate of socio-cultural, economic and political development of rural areas and the people therein.
' Moreover, it is disheartening to know that despite these reforms and provisions for Local Government systems geared towards excellent performance, it appears the local .< ,,. ."l. ,?. 3 government is still performing poorly. Some scholars in their different observations have tried
, to identify various factors as being responsible for the Local Government's poor performance. In their views, Egonmwan and Ibodge (1998) identified executive capacity as responsible for 1,. . the poor performance of Local Government Systems. Egonmwan (2002) identified intensified attitude of using public funds f~rpersonal enrichment and systematic illegalities as responsible for the poor performance of the Local Government's. Significantly, this illustrates that there are inadequately developed Human Resources to initiate and execute the Local Government programmes effectively, as well as manage the available human and material resources to improve the performance of the Local Government. However, Jerome (1999) and Ajieh (2000) opine that adequate powers and funds were
' given to the Local Government Councils, but yet cannot transport themselves into developmental projects, except through the application of human abilities, skill and knowledge. To this end, it is obvious that for a Local Government to achieve excellent performance in development of the rural Area and the people therein, there must be adequate Human Resource Development (HRD) and effective leadership in the Local Government. - Commodore Ndubisi Kanu, while inaugurating the Local Government Service Board (L.G.S.B.) on January 3, 1997, said: "The Local Government System is one of the most revolutionary administrative reforms in the political performance of the Federal Military Government. The concepts of this new - system of Local Government with its objectives, is aimed at standardizing and stabilizing the functions and financial resources of the Local Government with its objectives level and to encourage initiative and leadership potentials". It was not only designed to correct the ills of the past but also intended to mobilize human and material resources through involvement of the people in their areas. This statement succinctly summarized the reason for the establishment of this important tier of .< ,, .-1. ,*. 3 '>* Government that, everyone belongs to a community, and it is only the Government that embraces the community that is the Government of the people. Local Government is not just merely an integral part of the machinery of Government, , . . it is the very foundation of our nation, and it is the basis of the meaninghl, efficient and responsible government, the world over. It has tremendous values for us politically, socially and economically. Without mincing words one could correctly and categorically state that an efficient financial structure and architecture, coupled with accountability, are the solid bedrocks of the continuous existence and justification of the Local Government. The operational autonomy granted to the Local Government Councils throughout the Federation is designed to enhance their effectiveness and efficiency. The councils are expected to reciprocate this gesture by ensuring that the resources at their disposal are properly harnessed for the qualitative improvement of the lives of the rural populace. This measure of independence will no doubt enhance their ability to produce sufficient financial resources under their own authority. This will afford them the material means necessary for effective existence of the power granted them by the Federal Government. The new Nigerian constitution went further to widen the functions of Local Government, thus adding to their responsibilities. 1.2 Statement of the Problem
Local Government is the third tier-government as established by law to manage the welfare of the rural people in Nigeria. Poor performance has been an issue of concern ,just like a cankerworm it has eaten into the fabrics of the Local Government, which has led to its inability to achieve its objectives in the area of provision of basic amenities for its citizenry, such as maintenance of Law and Order, levy of rates and fees, provision and maintenance of accessible link roads, markets, motor parks, bus stops, transport facilities (rivers and upland) pipe-borne water, health services, generating plants for rural electrification, renovation of primary school buildings, etc. how eve^,-the hcal Government (L.G.) will have a large measure of autonomy, especially in respect of the approval and operation of its annual budget, provided this is prepared in accordance with the terms of the general framework prescribed by the State Government from time to time. Additioqally, the Local Government has been found wanting in the area of participatory democracy, mobilization of rural people, award of scholarships, provision of jobs etc. Moreover, the perceived poor performance of the Local Government does not necessarily stem from inadequate funds, but can also be attributed to inadequate Human Resource planning, development and utilization, which makes it practically difficult for Eleme Local Government to retain a good number of developed human skills, knowledge and capabilities to co-ordinate resources to the desired end. Even the few that are developed are not utilized properly. The unavailability or inadequate development of human resources invariably means poor performance. Moreover, Eleme Local Government requires effective leadership and adequate Human Resources Development to achieve good performance. From the above perspective, it is in the interest of this study to raise the following questions: 1. Is Ineffectiveness of the leadership of Eleme Local Government responsible for its poor performance? 2. Could the Lack of qualified Human Resources Management Personnel in Eleme local government be responsible for its poor personnel development efforts? Conclusively, the leadership of Eleme Local Government is ineffective in achieving the policy objective of the Local Government. These problems of Eleme Local Government in -- particular and Local Government System in general motivated this study. 1.3 Objectives of the Study
From the foregoing, this study is focused on examining the Impact of Leadership and Human Resources Development in the Local Government System in general. s Generally, the study is designed to achieve the following objectives. 1. Investigate the inability of the Personnel Management Department of Eleme Local Government to achieve its management functions in the Local Government. - 2. Examine inadequate Human Resources Development as it affects the Local Government's
inability to actualize Rural Development.(I . . 3. Ascertain whether ineffective leadership of Eleme Local Government affects the Local Government performance. 4. Make possible recommendations for the achievement of adequate Human Resources Development and effective leadership this is the hallmark of good performance in the Local Government System. 1.4 Significance of the study According to Obasi (1999) the significance of any academic study is the value of its contribution to the existing body of knowledge and its ability to afford both theoretical and practical solutions to the identified problem of research. In practical terms, the study will offer solutions to the problems, and will serve as an effective guide to the law makers, Local Government practitioners, students and the management of Eleme Local Government on Local Government affairs and also can be used as reference materials for further study on similar fields by scholars. 1.5 Scope of the Study. The essence of this research is to examine leadership and Human Resource Development as factors in the poor performance of Eleme Local Government, specifically and Local Government System in general. A sample size of 112 staffs responded to the questionnaires distributed by the researcher. They represent a population of 437 staff strength from the four functional departments: Personnel, Finance, Works and Primary Health Care. This is carried out with the assumption that whatever result was obtained by the study could be applicable to other Nigerian Local Government's because of their unified structure of
1.6 Limitations of the Study. .,,<..,"l.,t. > . Time, distance and material resources were the constraints faced by the researcher in the course of sourcing relevant information for the study. More so, insufficient documentation and literature relevant to the study became another limitation of the study.
,t . .. Finally, it is important to state that despite the constraints, the researcher was able to source out relevant documents and data, which aided in the achievement of the desired quality of this academic research. CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODOLOGY 2.1 Literature Review This chapter reviews the existing literature on the role of the two independent variables, Leadership and Human Resource Development on the performance of Nigerian Local Governments. In the interest of this study, the variables were reviewed under the following sub-heads: i. What is Leadership? .. 11. Types of a Leader. iii. Theories of Leadership. iv. What is Human Resource Development? v. Human Resources Development and Human Resource Training-Comparative Review. v i . Management development. vii. Importance of Human Resource Development. 2.1.1 What is Leadership? Nwachukwu (1988: 140) holds that Leadership is a "social influencing process in attainment of goals." A leader is a person with powmw-*rothers who exercise the power for the purpose of " influencing their behaviour. This definition emphasizes the power of the Leader to influence - the behaviour of the subordinates, but does not state the goal of such an influence. Allen and Robert (1961 :391) defined Leadership as ':a process where one person exerts social influence over the member of a group". This implies that the leader becomes the most powerful individual in the organization, and who directs, and guides activities to ensure that a goal is achieved. Cole ( l986:2 14) opines that "Leadership is a dynamic process in a group whereby one individual influences others to contribute voluntarily to the achievement of the group tasks in a given situation. Koonzt and D'onnel(1955:9) defined Leadership as "the art or process of influencing people so that they will strive willingly towards the achievement of the group goals". In this case, Leadership is seen as a process of influence in which one person (The Leader) induces others to behave in a particular way, basically for the achievement of the organizational goals. According to Awujo (1994: 153) Leadership is "the sum of activities by which a hierarchical superior voluntarily influences the behaviour of the subordinates in such a way as to efficiently achieve the organizational goal ." This means that leadership is a relationship between two or more persons in an organization, although, the relationship is unequal because the Leader controls the activities of the subordinates for the purpose of attaining the organizational goals using lesser resources. This entails achieving high output using low input of resources. However, three basic issues are raised. These are, firstly that Leadership is a dynamic process and not static. Secondly, that the Leader possesses an influence to direct the subordindtes towards the achievement of the organizational goals. Thirdly, that the success of the leader is determined by the existing envirpnme,nt. .,,I. 4.1. * Furthermore, Cole identified four basic elements, which determine the Leadership of / any given organization. These four elements are illustrated below:
\ Fig 2.1 The Key Leadership Variables LEADERSHIP TASKIGOAL Skills Environmental/Situations - Knowledge Environmental/Situations Subordinate Environmental/Situations Motivation I EnvironmentallSituations I I Source: Adopted from Cole, G.A. (1 986) Management Theory and Practice. However, despite the subjection of leadership to diverse definitions, particularly in behavioural science, the concept still emphasizes "activities", "behaviour" and action" In other words, Leadership is seen as a relationship in which one individual (leader) influences the activities of the subordinate in the organization to willingly work together on a task to achieve the organizational goal. The leader uses several means and resources to achieve this goal. The source of influence is usually based on the leadership position. Moreover, Local Government as an organization would lack unity and focus without Leadership. There should be effective Leadership in the Local Government to achieve effective administration and good performance. This suggests that the four elements stated by Cole must be in effective working relationship with each other. And the Leader must be effective in coordinating other elements to achieve the Local Government goal. For effective leadership the Leader must possess power and authority to influence the subordinates in a given environment towards a goal. Additionally, the Leader must possess such qualities like skill, knowledge, personality, intelligence, language power, exemplary life, honesty, enthusiasm, environmental consciousness, sharing ability, etc. 2.1.2 ?'ypes of Leaders There exist several types of leaders, which show the strength of the organization. Cole .,,, ..l.d' r .'* . (1 996) identified types of leaders as follows: i. Charismatic leader, who gains influence mainly from the strength of personality, e.g. Napoleon, Hitler, Church Hill, etc. , . . ii. Traditional leader, whose position is assured by birth e.g. Kings, Queens and Tribal Chieftains. iii. Situational Leader, whose influence can only be effective by being in the right place and at the right time, iv. Appointed Leader, whose influence arises directly out of his position e.g. managers, supervisors, etc. v. Functional leader, whose source of leadership position is by what he or she does, rather than what they are. From all indications, the appointed and hnctional types of leaders, are relevant to this study, as they are more involved with bureaucratic organizations, including the Local Government. Their source of power is from the scope and nature of the position they occupy in the hierarchy. ow ever, these types of leaders have their own lapses, as sometimes the functions of the leader may be defined, but the leader might not find it easy to implement such functions due to the weak personality, inadequate training and development of such a leader. The i. inability of such Leader in the Local Government will automatically lead to poor performance of the Local Government. 2.1.3 Theories of Leadership Several theories have been postulated by different scholars for the study of Leadership. However, for the purpose of this research work /project, three basic theories namely, BehaviourIStyle theory, Trait theory and Situational theory, were conceptualized. 2.1.4 BehaviourIStyle Theory
C This theory opines that the Leader's behaviour and style used in relating with other
members of the organization, affect., ,,the,hl,padphip's effectiveness (Nwachukwu, 1988). Robbins (2002:315) holds that "specific behaviour differentiates leaders from non- leaders, and argues that the right procedure for choosing a leader in a given organisation should be based on the behaviour of the leader. . 1, White and Lippitt (1953) identified three basic leadership styles in the course of their research conducted on leadership by Lewin, Lippitt and White at the University of Iowa. The three leadership styles are Autocratic, Democratic and Laissez faire leadership styles. Oguonu (2000) argues that autocratic leadership is a style in which the leader takes the organisational decisions alone, without consulting the subordinates. This style of leadership denies the subordinates their right of accomplishment, personal development and satisfaction associated with self actualization, and denies the organisation adequate human resources due to its antagonistic nature to subordinates. Nwachukwu (1988) argues that Laissez faire is a Leadership style where the leader allows the group to make decisions without the active involvement of the leader by the group, which invariably leads to poor performance of the organisation. He suggests that Democratic leadership style is the direct opposite of the other two styles, as the leader involves the subordinates in the policy decision making process of the organisation, to enhance effective administration, which is the bedrock of good performance in the organisation. From the above analysis, it is obvious that the common features of the various leadership styles are patterns of decision making parties involved in the decision making process of the organisation, which determines the leadership-subordinate relationship in the organisation. Consequently, this study would seem to suggest that it would be more convenient for the Nigerian Local Government System to operate the Democratic leadership, as this will not only develop the employees and grant them a sense of belonging, but will also enhance perfohnance of the Local Government. Moreover, the Autocratic leadership style will hinder effective communication link between the employees and the management (Leadership) as .<,, . *w1. Y?. , well as lead to poor Human Resources Development and poor performance of the Local Government. Subsequently, the Liassez faire is not a good option for the Local Government, as it will lead to constant chaos rather than, enhancing the chances of attaining the set ,I . . objectives. 2.1.5 Trait Theory This theory sees Leadership fiom the perspective of the qualities that empowers a Leader to succeed in Leadership exercise. The Leader possesses such qualities that will help hirnlher to function effectively in an organization. Yuki and Fleet (1992) add that these traits can increase .the chances of the leader's success in leadership exercise, but cannot guarantee -v successes on its own. Koontz, et al. (1980) argues that these correlations are not persuasive, rather normal pattern of behaviour expected from a leader. He further disagreed with the view of some scholars that leaders are born with such qualities due to their high level achievement while in leadership position, but hold that such qualities are acquired due to the leaders potential and capabilities in the organization. Robbins (2000) opines that these traits differentiate the Leader from the non-leader in an organization and describes the Leader with such terms as charismatic, enthusiastic and courageous. This helps the Leader to direct the group behaviour in the organization to function effectively, which leads to the achievement of the organizational goal. Nwachukwu (1988) identified such qualities as intelligence, appearance, knowledge, judgement, honesty, truthfulness, openness, etc. 2.1.6 Situational Theory
fl This theory sees situation as a determinant factor in leadership effectiveness. Stogdil (1 950) in his contribution specifically indicated that the situational factors such as the nature of the job, organisational environment within which the Leader operates and the characteristics of the subordinates determines the Leaders ability. Similarly, Koonzt, et al. (1980:666) suggests that "...leaders are product of a given situation". This indicates that the actions and plans of a Leader becomes the product of the situation the Leader emerges from ..,,...7.4'. . and operates in, as the situation become the determinant factor in making any individual a
p leader. Also Fielder (1967) argues that a leader is influenced by the situation helshe finds himselflherself in, during the leadership exercise, A typical example during the Nigeria Civil , . . War, people like Ojukwu, Gowon etc, became leaders because the war situation encouraged them to act and expose their potential, which invariably made them leaders in such situation. Furthermore, Filley, et. a1 (1976) adds that the ineffectiveness of any leadership is based on the leader's ability to respond to the environmental factors such as the history of the organisation in question, the hosting community, psychological climate of the subordinates, their personalities, cultural and social influences, and the need for decision making in the organisation. This implies that the rise and fall of any leader is subject to the ability of the leader to respond to the environmental factors surrounding the leader in a given organization. In another perspective, Nwachukwu (1988) argues that it is not only the environmental factors that affect the leadership, but the relationship between the leader and the subordinates, as well as the leadership qualities. However, he adds that the organisational tasks and goals are also factors. In view of these, factors in the situational leadership model are presented below. FIG. 2.2 SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP MODEL
Custom Political Social W 2 Zi Group and Social Events Task ----+ 2 0s V3 A d W External Condition W9 I4
.,,, , .-1. .?. , . r Goals Iand 0bjectives . ..
Adopted from: Howard M. Carlisle, Management Concept and Situation in Nwachukwu, C .C. (1 988) Management Theory and Practice. From the diagram, the various factors as indicated in fig. 2.2 above, affect the Leadership subordinate relationship in the Local Government, thereby determining its performance. Interestingly, this study portrays that Leadership is a paramount factor in the effectiveness of organizations, including Local Government's to achieve its organizational goal. In the local government, the effectiveness of the Leadership determines the performance of the local government, particularly in the area of administrative effectiveness and rural development. 2.1.7 What is Human Resource Development?
The literature on Human Resource Development would not easily be understood, without briefly explaining individually the meaning of the constituent parts - "Human Resource" and "Development". Rodney (1972) in his analysis views development from two perspectives namely "Human Development" and Society Development. Human (individual) Development implies "an increase in skill and capability, greater freedom, creativity, self-discipline, responsibility and material well-being". In this case, individuals experience and exhibit some moral and G material improvement. While Society Development is the improvement in the society from one stage to another. Harbison (1973).defined Human Resource as "the energies, skills and knowledge of people which are or which potentially can or should be applied to the production of goods and services". Similarly, Tobias (1969) defined manpower as "people, humanity, and society with all its aspiratio~s,ne.ed and capacities". Objectively, Human Resource implies human knowledge, skills and capabilities used in production of goods and services in the Local Government. The Local Government exists in an environment, which provides it with the needed resources, and it is the strength of the environmental resources that determines the productivity of the local government. At this stage, the human resources become the engine room for developing other resources (material) to a useful stage. Development could be perceived not only as a condition in life, but also as a goal to be attained through the improvement in conditions of life. Similarly, Okoli and Onah (2002) hold that "development goes beyond economic and social indicators to include the improvement of Human Resource and positive change in their behaviour". This means that development would not be complete without the improvement (quantitatively and qualitatively) of Human Resource; through which the development of other sectors could be achieved. It is a state of growing, changing and developing (Giant, 1979). The quantitative perspective of Human Resources includes the number of people, the proportion involved in the production activities and working hours, while qualitative perspective includes the skill, knowledge and similar attributes that affect particular human capabilities in the production process (Ojo, 1997). In this view, the concept of high-level manpower becomes important. High level manpower includes the executives, administrators, technologists, professionals, technicians and long-trained craftsmen (Tobias, 1969). These types of Human Resources are referred to as the "produced producers" and they are the Hurdan capital of any organization. Similarly, Anyanwu (1981) holds that "development implies change or growth. It ..,, .rl. d* "t . proceeds gradually and cumulatively through a kind of unfolding of the internal or latent potentiality." This indicates that development is a process, which makes the whole system move towards a goal. It is a continuous unfolding process from the original state. He further states that development is not visible, rather it is observed, and subsequently identified four principal characteristics of development as:
I. . . .. Movement from one stage to another, maintaining definite direction. . . 11. Having a purpose or goal, which is set to achieve in order to be considered fulfilled. ... 111. Obeying directional movements along which change remains cumulative. iv. Development being characterized by stages (with improvement from one stage to another). Ojo (1998) adds that "development implies a parallel process in which people acquire more general abilities and information, but in ways that cannot always be tied directly to a particular work they perform. While on the other hand, Nwachukwu (1988) observes Human Resource Development as "activities undertaken to induce an employee to perform additional duties and assume positions of importance in the organizational hierarchy". Human Resources Development does not only mean the activities or processes of acquiring new knowledge and skill to improve on the job, but to enable the employee after acquiring the knowledge and skill, utilize them as an added advantage to rise to a higher position in the organization. McFarland (1968) holds that development is the process by which managers and executives acquire not only skills and competence on their present jobs, but also capacity for future managerial tasks of increasing difficulty and scope". Development as a concept has been defined by many scholars from different perspectives depending on the scholar's unstated assumption, ideological perspective, socio- economic and political background. C More so development entails the improvement in employees' knowledge and skills necessary to perform a given task,,i~,,ap~~rganisation, which leads to the achievement of set goals. It therefore becomes the improvement of the Human Resource in terms of managerial, administrative and decision making competence; for effective functioning of the organisation. Consequently, development is seen as "management or executive development". I' Additionally, Egonmwan (2002) opines that "Human Resource Development has to do with the upgrading of the knowledge and skill of employees and the modelling and orientation of their attitudes so that they can be more productive and efficient in the performance of their jobs". From the analysis, it is interesting to note that the study defined Human Resources Development as noticeable improvement of knowledge, skills, capabilities and capacity of the Human Resources of the Local Government; which leads to the improvement of their life pattern (economically, politically and socio-culturally) and achievement of the local government goals. This means that it is only developed manpower that can develop other resources to attain the organizational goal. 2.1.8 Human Resources Development and Human Resources Training. It is important to identify the error 'of explaining Human Resource Development as Human Resource Training (HRT), as these are two different concepts that connote different meanings in an organization. Obikuyo (1996) argues that "Training is the systematic process of altering the behaviour, knowledge and/or motivation of employees in a direction to increase the trainees' effectiveness and organizational goal achievement". While "Development is preparing managerial employees so that they can move with the organization as it, changes and grows". This shows that Human Resources Training is a strategy to teach employees to enable them increase productivity, while Human Resource Development deals with preparing the employee on how to acquire new knowledge and skill as well as grow with the organisational system. Similarly, Crawford (1984) opines that Human Resource Training emphasizes ways in which "~pecific" knowledge and skills required to perform "specific" jobs" are acquired; while Human Resource Development has to do with the process of acquiring more "general" .<,,..l.+. 3 . knowledge and skill, which of course does not tie the employee to a particular task. Additionally, Stoner and Freeman (1989) state that Training is designed to improve skills on the present job. Cole, (1996) in his view, sees Training as "the preparation for an
11 occupation or for specific skills, it is narrower in conception than either Education or Development, furthermore he also states that Development is a "broader view of knowledge and skill acquisition than Training, it is less job oriented than career oriented, it is involved more with employee potential than with immediate skill and views employees as adaptable resources", for example, employees might be instructed on the new decision-making techniques or capabilities of the Data Processing System while Development.. .is designed to educate employees beyond the requirements of the present position so that they will be prepared for promotion and be able to take a broader view of their role in the organization." In other words, Human Resource Training is seen as a process, aimed at maintaining and improving the present job performance of the employee, with the intent of helping the employee to grow up to additional responsibility. While Human Resource Development is seen as a means of acquiring broader knowledge and skill by the employee, with the motive of helping the organization grow. From the two scholars' view, the conceptual difference lies on the fact that Human Resource Training is the improvement of employee's knowledge and skills that has no bound in utilization. 2.1.9 Management Development Management or Executive Development is a vital area of human resource development in an organization, which requires attention. This involves the development of Human Resources found within the management cadre of the organisation. The development of this cadre will assist the management in achieving managerial effectiveness, which is the bedrock of organizational effectiveness. Egomuwan (2002) in his observation, expressed that due to the complex nature of the task performed by the Executive, there is need for "conscious" and "systematic" attention to be given to the development of their,,f6n;lqqageria1skill" He firther identified the managerial skills as:-
* "Decision making, interpersonal skills, job knowledge, organizational knowledge, general knowledge and. specific individual skill". . 1, According to Onah (1995) and Agbero (2000) Management Development is defined as the "process of improving the effectiveness of an individual manager by training hirnlher in the necessary skill and understanding of the organizational goals". This reveals that . Management Development is a continuou's process of developing a manager through out hisher engagement period in the organisation. This will provide the manager with the basic required skills and knowledge to manage the organisation effectively and efficiently, and prepare the manager for future tasks of the organisation. The development of these managerial skills will equip the manager with the knowledge to solve "managerial problems" and take "right decisions" for the effective functioning of the organization. For effective functioning of the Local Government, there is need for Management Development, especially development of the staff with the management cadre in the Local Government. Such staffs are the Head of Administration and Personnel Management (HPM), Treasurer, Department Heads, Unit Heads, Supervisors and other political officers who are involved in the day-to-day affairs of the Local Government. This will enhance their managerial and executive skill and knowledge, and prepare them for immediate and future tasks for the Local Government Administration. Additionally, Nwachukwu (1988) identified the application of certain methods or strategies such as education, coaching, assisting, special assignments, conference, seminar and workshop, and self development. In a view to achieve management development. Interestingly, these methods of management development are also used as strategies for Human Resources Development including on the job training, orientation programmer apprerhiceship, etc. However, certain institutions and agencies were established by the Nigerian . ,, .-1. ,I. .,> Government to develop the Human Resources of various organisations including Local Governments. These institutions and agencies are Universities, Colleges, Polytechnics Professional bodies (ICAN, IPM, NIM), Industeal Training Funds, Centre for Management Development, ASCON etc. Remarkably also ABU, UNN and OAU are Universities with special Departments for the development of Local Government staff in Nigeria. 2.1.10 Importance of Human Resource Development in Eleme Local Government Area. It is obvious that the importance of Human Resources Development cannot be over emphasized as its values are not only utilized by the organization, but also both the individuals (I luman Resource) and in general. Interestingly, Egonmwan (2002) identified the following as the importance of Human Resources Development.
A. TO THE ORGANIZATION i. Reduces the waste in productivity and increases flexibility in operation and readiness to adapt to change in technology, techniques and methods and other innovations. .. 11. Enhances performance and increase in productivity. .. . 111. Heightens morale among staff. B. TO THE INDIVIDUAL (EMPLOYEES) I 1. Leads to the acquisition of more knowledge skill and appropriate attitudes. . . 11. Leads to more job satisfaction, increase in earning and job security. iii. Enhances the chances of the employees' growth in rank and position in the
I organization. C. TO THE SOCIETY
1. Leads to increase in productivity, thereby leading to increase in national income To this effect, the literature would not be complete without considering the problems affecting the Human Resources Development in Nigerian Local Governments. These problems are poor funding of Human Resources planning, improper utilization of the Human Resources, .,,, +.1.*. . ',t ' ineffective Leadership, environmental influence, using human resource development as an end / rather than as a means to an end.
2.2 Hypotheses \ , . . To achieve the objectives of this study, the following hypotheses were postulated. 1. The Leadership of Eleme Local Government is ineffective in the achievement of policy objectives of the Local Government. 2. Lack of qualified management personnel in Eleme Local Government is responsible for poor personnel development effort of the Local Government. 3. Inadequately developed Human Resources of Eleme Local Government is responsible for inability of the Local Government in the area. 4. Ineffectiveness of the Leadership of Eleme Local Government is responsible for poor performance of the government. 2.3 Operationalization of Key Concepts in the Hypothesis Operationalization of concepts simply means the assigning of meaning to a variable by specifying the activities or operations necessary to measure the variable in a study (Kerlinger, 1977 and Obasi, 1999). The concepts operationalized in this study are as follows: Human Resource Development: Ideally means "the process of increasing the knowledge, skills and capabilities of people" Ojo, (1997) operationally, it is defined as the "improvement of knowledge, skills and capabilities of Eleme Local Government employees". The need for their development is due to their practical involvement in the initiation and execution of the Local Government policies. Leadership: - Theoretically, this concept as used in hypotheses iii and iv, and in other parts of the study, implies the "social influencing process in attainment of goals" According to Nwachukwu (1988) this concept includes:- (a) The hctivities of the Finance and General Purpose Committee (F & GPC) under the headship of the Executive Chairman of the. Local Government in policy initiation and .,,,...l.+. 3 .>*
implementation. /
(b)The activities of the management of Eleme Local Government in the discharge of its . management hnctions towards the attainment of the Local Government goals. ,I . . Organization: In this thesis, organization implies the Local Government as a body. Organizational goals:-This means the Local Government goals as stated in the 1976 Guidelines for Local Government Reforms. These goals are vital to achieve rural Development. Poor Performance:- Objectively, as contained in hypothesis iv and other parts of the study, this implies insufficient achievement as .a result of low productivity of Eleme Local Government in the discharge of her finctions as contained in the fourth schedule section 8, part 12 of 1999 constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria. Policy obiectives: - Operationally, as used in the study, these are the set objectives of the Local Government as stated in the 1976 Local Government Guidelines Reforms. Ineffectiveness. This simply means "inability to achieve the desired objective. Effective: This means the ability to achieve the desired objective of Eleme Local Government. Inability: This clearly means lack of means/resources for Eleme Local Government to achieve adequate Rural Development. Inadequately: As indicated in hypothesis (ii) this means lack of means/resources for Eleme Local Government to achieve adequate ~uralDevelopment. 2.4 Methodology 2.4.1 Area of Study The study was carried out in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers state, Nigeria. 2.4.2 Research Design The survey research design was used for this study. Obasi (1999) opines that survey research design is the "process of eliciting data from a target population through either questidnnaire or interview instrument and subjecting each datum to statistical analysis for the purpose of drawing conclusions" On this note, the survey of the junior staff / political office .<,,. ,"1. ,t. 3 .?* ' holders was carried out to collect data on their role in the poor performance of Eleme Local Government. 2.4.3 Population of The Study ,I . . The population of study comprises of 437 staff (senior and junior) of the four (4) finctional departments namely, Personnel, Finance, Works and PHC. 2.4.4 Sample Size of the Study The research made use of 100 senior staff and 20 junior staff as the sample size of the study. This was chosen out of the 437 staff at the ratio of 25 staff per department. The senior staff and junior staff were chosen based on their position and knowledge on the subject matter-Leadership and Human Resource Development in Eleme local government. 2.4.5 The Research Instrument Structured questionnaire instrument, interview instrument, observation method and documentary method were used for the collection of data for this study.
1. The Ouestionnaire Method The questionnaire items were indicated through the literature review and observed problems of Eleme Local Government. The questionnaire was divided into two sections "A and B". Section A comprised items on biographical data of the respondents. Section B comprised the substantial issues which consist of dichotomous questions with "Yes" or "No" as the possible answers. The questionnaire had 15 items to examine Leadership and Human Resource Development as factors in the poor performance of Eleme Local Government. The questionnaire was constructed by the researcher under the supervision of the study supervisor, who subjected the instrument to both theoretical and practical validity. The questionnaire was personally administered to the 100 senior staff and 20 junior staff of Eleme Local Government. This shows that a total of 120 questionnaires were administered. The questionnaires were retrieved personally with the help of the Chief Administrative Officer (C.A.0) who coordinated various departments to avoid delay in administering the .,,, . ..l. d' r "* . questionnaire. A total of 112 questionnaires ,were retrieved from the respondents. ii. INTERVIEW METHOD Interview method was employed in collecting information from the staff and 1, . . political office holders of the local government, particularly the supervisors and Head's of Department enter. Questions were designed and given to them on issues concerning leadership and Human Resource Development in Eleme Local Government. The respondents in their diverse views and observations on the matter made contributions which were taken as part of the data for this study. iii Observation method Observation method was used as one of the methods to collect data for this study. The researcher observed several issues concerning the topic of this study, while on a visit to the Council premises. She personally found out that shortage of developed Human Resources and ineffective Leadership of the Local Government could be factors responsible for the administrative ineffectiveness in the Local Government. iv. Documentary Method This consists of secondary data, which include textbooks, newspapers, Journals, magazines, seminar papers, research papers, periodicals, government annual publications, gazettes, edicts. The constitution and commission and panel reports relating to the subject matter of this study. 2.4.6 Method of Data Presentation And Analysis. The data collected for this study were presented and analysed in tabular frequency and percentages. The frequency distribution of the responses from each of the items in section B. of the questionnaire was classified into 2 dimensions based on the responses "Yes" or "No". The frequency for each dimension of response was computed as a percentage of the number of respondents. The result of the score was analysed for its theoretical and practical value%,and was used to support or disagree with each of the hypotheses of the study. 2.5 Theoretical Framework .<,,.,"l..?. % . - The study used a structural functional approach for the evaluation of Local Government performance. The performance was based on the level of its achievement on Rural Development as its goal. This approach had some characteristics, which made it , . . relevant for the study. The researcher viewed Local Government as a unit of analysis and its functions towards the maintenance of the System, as well as the fbnctional inter-dependence of the diverse structures within the System. Ekpenyong, (1999) argues that the society operates in,a way similar to the functioning of the biological System. This comparison is referred to as the organic analogy. They view the social and political institution functions in combination with others for the benefit of the society as a system. Furthermore, the functionalist argues that the political system comprises all the interacting structures engaged in political activities, while functions deal with the consequences involving objectives as well as pattern of action, structures imply those arrangements within the system, which perform the functions. From the foregoing analysis, the Local Government is viewed as a Unit of the System (society) which has some functions to perform, and contributes to the maintenance of the Society. Such function includes the provision of social amenities, infrastructures, maintenance of Law and Order, mobilization of the rural people, development of the rural areas etc. The approach is considered vital in examining the impact of Leadership and Human Resources Development in Local Government performance in Rural Development process especially in developing nations like Nigeria. Here the approach views Local Government as a structure within a given system, which has functions to perform in the society. CHAPTER THREE
STUDY AREAIGENERAL INFORMATION
2.1 Historical Background Eleme Local Government constitutes one of the nine Local Governments created in the old Rivers State. The area is about 120 square kilometres and the population, in 1963, was put at 90,000; although currently, the establishment of many key industries in the area has raised the population to an estimated 900,000.Eleme has contiguous land boundary with Elelewo in the West, Oyigbo in the North, Ogoni in the East and a mangrove swamp boundary with Okrika in the South. Eleme is referred to in all colonial records as Mboli. That name was given by the Aro traders and agents of the Long Juju who visited the area and observing their peculiar culture described them as Mba Oli di iche in the Ibo language which when interpreted means "One Country that is different" Backed by the ferocious Abam warriors, these Aro traders carried the Mboli appellation to the hinterland. Eleme Local Government is made up of Nchia and Odibo towns which comprise Ogale, Abonchia, Aleto, Alode, Akpajo, Ebube, Onne, Eteo, Ekporo, and Odibo. Each of these towns has several villages and settlements. The language spoken is called Eleme, However, there
.<,, . ,wl. ,?. 3 .It . was a handicap in communication long before the Aro slave dealers, traders and agents , brought in their language as a compromise. I This Too language was studied vigorously to facilitate communication and trade. \ Tt soon became the medium of expressioh between the Eleme people and all her neighbours. I The earliest Missionaries, court clerks and teachers who were posted to the area also i reinforced the use of Ibo language. Even today most clergy men in Eleme Churches still I conduct their service in Ibo texts in spite of available Eleme translations.
4 The major occupation of the people of Eleme is farming. Eleme has various industries l and institutions. Some of these are the Petroleum Refinery at Alesa, a residential estate for ' The major occupation of the people of Eleme is farming. Eleme has various industries and institutions. Some of these are the Petroleum Refinery at Alesa, a residential estate for NNPC, a Petroleum Plant at Nchia, Shell Crude Oil manifold stations at Ebubu and Ogale respectively; the Nigerian Naval College, Onura, the Nitrogenous Fertilizer Company (NAFCON) at Onne, which is presently closed and sold out to an indigenous company, the Federal Ocean Terminal at Onne, a campus of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology also at Onne and the Oil Free Zone at Onne. There is a satellite town transverse from Onne to Alode. Eleme Local Government has its headquarters at Ogale; the strength of its staff is about 437 men and women with different skills. All the departments that exist in the state are also found in the Local Government except, Defence and Governors Office. Presently, Education and training of staff are given priority in the Local Government. Staff development programmes, like the in-service training through the attendance of workshop and seminars, attending universities; while at work, for example many of the Local Government staff are now undergoing courses in the Department of Public Administration and Local government of The University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Th'e Local Government Chairman and his working politicians are bent on ensuring a kind of sustainable development as they provide scholarship to the students of the local . ,, ."1. . 3 government in form of bursary awards, and train the Youths in the acquisition of skills in the , industrial units of the Local Government. Table 3.1: Clans and Villages Distribution in Eleme Local Government Area. \ CLANS NO OF VILLAGES Ogale 8 Agbonchia 8
I 3 I Aleto 18 I 4 Alode 18 15 I Akpajo Ebubu 8 17 Onne 8 8 Eteo 8 9 Ekporo 8 I Odido 1 Source: Office of the Supervisor for Health, Eleme Local Government.
NAMES OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL COUNCILLORS FOR THE YEAR 2002-
I SIN I NAMES I POSITION I I 1 I Hon .Jack Onungwe Npon I Leader I I 1 2 I Hon .John Micah Ngelale I Deputy Leader I I 3 I Hon. Michael 0. Okpabi I Chief Whip I I 1 4 I Hon. Johnson Aforji Okpa I Rep. Agbonchia I I 5 I Hon. Olaka Nwafor I Rep. Alode I Hon. Ibrahim Osaro Amasi I Rep. Ebube 1 Hon. Lloyd Awalason I Rep. Alesa
I Hon. Sunday.,,, . la* Qkp'gi . . I Rep. Eteo I Hon. Padomore Wawa I Rep. Onne 10 Hon. Promise Goda Onurah Rep. Aleto Source: Office of the Local Government Chairman of Eleme.
,I . .. Others Include SIN 1 NAMES POSITION Hon. J.0 Nwogu Chairman Proj ect4nfrastructure development committee. 2 .Hon. Nwosu Njujima Ngola Works, Housing & Transport. 3 Hon. Ojingia Okola. B Agriculture & Natural Resources I I 1I 4 I Hon. Sunday Owaye Buma I Education. I I 5 I Hon.Christopher Anwi Mube I Youths, Sports & Culture I I 6 I Hon. Samuel Osaro I Environment & Ecology 7 Kendrick Nyimejire Oluka Secretary to the L.G.Counci1. I I 8 I Daba Oju Romeo Esq. I Chief accountant & Treasurer I I / Apostle G.Tumini Diri(Jp) Head of Personnel I I I Management. 10 I Hon. Franklin Abbey 1 Vice Chairman Eleme L.G .I I I council 11 Chief. Hon. Ejor N. Ejor Executive Chairman Eleme.
The Local Government is made up of 10 clans and 88 villages. The Local Government, like any other Local Government within the Niger Delta Region, is not environmentally homogenous due to the topographical nature of the area. The area has several outlets and streams at the Northern parts, and larger rivers and creeks at the Southern and western parts. There are gallery forest along the banks of the rivers, which have grown into secondary . 4 1 ,? ' vegetation invaded by the palm oil trees and mangroves at the South Western part together with seaweed and some open farmland at the North East. The combination of swamp, forest and farmland that presented the area .with different economic activities. This situation warraits thkm to be farmers, fisher men, traders, palm wine tapers, hunters and herbalists. Although a good number of them are also into civil service career. Farming as an economic activity in the area is based on mixed cropping system, where crops like cassava, yam, okro, cocoyam, plantain etc are planted in large quantities and of 7 course harvested in large quantities and sold at cheap price. In fact the area serves as the food basket of the state. In the fishing sector of the economy, indigenous technology has been developed to carter for fishing processing, preservation and distribution. They operate on sustenance and commercial fishing in the area. However, due to the geographical terrain of the area, economic activities are always faced with the problem of poor transportation and communication during the rainy season, due to the flooding rivers, untarred roads in some parts of the Area and poor road network. Also, the problem of non electrification of some villages in the area affects economic activities. 3.1.2 Political and Socio Cultural Background Eleme Local Government is a politically segmented society, where the families of various villages and clans form the unit of political and social organization for governance. - The oldest man in the family, by virtue of his age, is the family head, who settle disputes amongst his family members and also spear heads the execution of laws and traditional rites that are mandatory to the family (Iroanwunsi, 1990). The Traditional Authority in Eleme is called 'Oneh-Eh-Eleme'. He is a recognized first class chief. Each Clan has a traditional ruler titled 'Oneh-Eh-Nchia' and 'Oneh-Eh-Odido' and both offices are recognized as second class chiefs. Every town has a traditional ruler titled .,,, . ..L *' . .I+ ' 'Oneh-Eh-Eta', who is assisted in the administrative and ritualistic duties in the town by 7 * 'Oneh Nkporon' and 'Oneh Nkiken'. Oneh Nkporo is the spokesman of the town, while Oneh Nkiken is the land priest. Socio culturally, the people are endowed with rich cultural heritage. Their cultural activities are the new yam festival, burial rites, marriage ceremonies, age grade ceremonies and wrestling festival. 3.2 Functions of Eleme Local Government The functions of Eleme Local Government are the same as the functions of other Local Governments in Nigeria, as contained in the fourth Schedule, section 8, part 1 of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. These functions are classified into two categories, namely; Exclusive and Concurrent Functions. 1. Exclusive Functions: These are those functions contained in the Fourth Schedule, section 8, Part 1 of the 1999 Constitution as follows; A. The Consideration and the making of recommendations to a State Commission on economic planning or similar body on; i. The economic development of the State, particularly in as far as the areas of authority of the council and state are affected and, ii. Proposals made by the said commission of body. B. Collection of rates, radio and television licenses. C. Establishment and Maintenance of cemeteries, burial grounds, funeral houses, crematorium and houses for the destitute or deformed. D. Licensing of bicycles, trucks other than mechanically propelled t~ucks,canoes, wheel- barrows and carts. E. Establishment, maintenance and regulation of slaughter slabs, markets, motor parks and ' public convenience. F. Construction and maintenance of roads, street lightings, drainage and other public . , ."1. * 'l* ' highways, parks, gardens, open spaces, or such public facilities as may be prescribed from time to time by the house of Assembly of a State. G. Naming of Roads and Streets and numbering of houses. , . . H. Registration of all births, deaths and marriages. I. Assessment of privately owned houses or tenants for the purpose of levying such rates as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly of a State. J. Control and regulation of; a. Outdoor advertising of bill boards. b. Movement and keeping of pets of all description. c. Shops and kiosks. d. Restaurants, bakeries and other places for the sale of food to the public. e. Laundries. f. Licensing, regulation and control of the sale of liquor. 2. The Concurrent Functions of the Local Government are performed in conjunction with the State or Federal Government of Nigeria. These are contained in the fourth Schedule, Section 8, and Part 1 of the 1999 Constitution as follows: a. The provision and maintenance of primary, adult and vocational education. b. The development of agriculture and natural resources other than the exploitation of minerals. c. The provision and maintenance of health services. d. Such other functions as maybe conferred on the Local Government Council by the House of Assembly of the State. 3.3 Organisational Structure of Eleme Local Government Council A unified organizational structure was designed for the Nigerian Local Government System including Eleme Local Government in other to function effectively and achieve its policy objectives. The organizational structure is made up of two sections namely: the
Executive Arm and Legislative Arm..,,, .el- Each ., , slk arp is charged with separate responsibilities, however hnctions interdependently of the system. The organizational structure of the Local Government is represented in an organogram below. Chairman/ Vice Chairman b Council
Council
I Personnel+ tAgricult re & Medical 3 Management (Head Finance & Supplies Commerce of Department Health (Head of Department of (Treasurer) (Head of Works) Personnel) Department Primary Health Care)
Each Supervisor Each Supervisor Each Supervisor Has 6 Divisions Has 6 Divisions Has 6 Divisions Has 6 Divisions
Each Division Has 6 Branches Has 6 Branches Has 6 Branches Has 6 Branches Has 6 Branches
Each Branch Each Branch Each Branch Each Branch Has 6 Sections Has 6 Sections Has 6 Sections Has 6 Sections Has 6 Sections
Fig 3.1 ro roved Organogram for local governments in Nigeria (Source: Adapted from Ogunna 1996:333) 3.3.1 Legislative Arm This is the highest law-making organ of the Local Government. Members of the
legislative Arm are the elected councillors for a specific term with the aim of making law and \ policies for the local government Area. ~h;electorate of their respective wards elect the councillors to represent them. In accordance with the creation of Eleme Local Government in September 1991 an election was conducted in December of the same year, which ushered in the Legislative Arm. The leader and deputy leader of the council head the Legislative Arm. The Head of Personnel Management (HPM) of the bureaucratic sector serves as the clerk of the council. *. The main functions of the Legislative Arm are: 1. Representing the opinions of their electorates in various wards. 2. Making of bylaws and policies. " 3. Management of Financial resources of the Local Government. This is done through; A. Debating and approving or amending the annual budget of the Local Government, subject to the chairman's veto, this may be set aside by two third majority votes of the Council. B. Examining the monthly statement of income and expenditure of the Local Government rendered by the Chairman. 4. Control of the Executive. This is done through: i. Checking their activities. ii. Impeachment of the Executive Chairman. iii. Monitoring and vetting the implementation of projects and programmes contained in the annual Budget of the Local Government. iv. Ratification of the Chairman's appointments of the secretary, supervisors and Special Advisers. E The Council advises the Executive Chairman when the need arises, particularly on contrbversial matters. 3.3.2 The Executive Arm . ,,. 1-1 -1' S"1 The Executive Arm of the Local ~ovemmentis charged with the responsibilities of w executing by-laws and policies made by the Legislative arm. The Executive Arm consists of the Executive Chairman, who is the chief ex.ecutive and accounting officer of the Local
1, Government, the Vice- Chairman, Secretary, Supervisors and Special advisers. These persons constitute the Finance and General Purpose Committee of the Local Government (F & GPC). They carry out the policy implementation functions only during the democratic period as in the case of 1991-1993, 1996-1998, and 1999-2002 when presidential system of government was being practiced in Eleme Local Government and in other Local Government councils in Rivers State. However, the F&GPC did function as both Executive and Legislative w organs as in the case of early 1991,1993-1996 and late part of 1998 to May 1999 in Eleme Local Government where Sole Administrators / Caretakers Committees were appointed to run the local Government and also when parliamentary System of Government was in vogue in the local Government Areas. The Executive Arm of Local Government is administratively structured into Departments: namely Administration, Finance and Supply, Works, Education, Agriculture and Primary Health Care. The activities of the departments in the Local Government are co- coordinated by the Head of Personnel Management, who is by hierarchy the most senior administrative officer in the Local Government. R Each Department is divided into Units under the control of a unit head. The sub- division of the departments is to enhance administrative professionalism as well as effective and efficient functioning of the Local Government System. 3.4 Personnel Management System of Eleme Local Government Specifically, the Personnel Management System of Eleme Local Government emphasizes the activities of two bodies namely: the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) and the Junior Staff Management Committee (JSMC) which are constitutionally and legally'charged with the responsibility of implementing the rules and regulations governing Personnel Management in the unified Local Government service as contained in the .,),...L.V. . Handbook of Local Government Administration. (FGN: 1992). 3.4.1 Rivers State Local Government Service Commission P The Local Government Service Commission is a constitutional body established by Rivers
11 State Government, with membership of five commissioners and a chairman, both on the tenure of four years. However, members of the Commission, including the Chairman could be re-appointed for another four years if found worthy .The Commission is charged with the following responsibilities to the Local Government employees; 1. To appoint, promote and discipline Local Government employees on grade level 07 and above. In doing so, the principle of geographical spread and socio-economic diversity of the state shall be taken into full account. The guidelines for promotion shall be based on the generally accepted principle of experience, performance on the job, length of service, good conduct, relevant qualification, training, performance at interview and relevant examinations where appropriate. 2. To set up general uniform guidelines for appointment, promotion and discipline. 3. To monitor the activities of each Local Government on appointment, discipline and promotion of Local Government employees on grade levels 01-06 in order to ensure that the guidelines are strictly and uniformly adhered to. 4. To serve as an appellate body for all petitions from Local Governments in respect of appointments, promotions and discipline. The decision of the LGSC shall be binding on all Local Governments on appeal matters tothe governor. 5. To restructure and strengthen the Department of Personnel Management and thereafter to constantly review and propose modification in operation methods and organizational structure of the Local Government Service. 6. The Local Government staff pension office, which is at present a separate office, shall remain so. However, the Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission shall cohtinue to be the chairman of the pension's board. 7. To maintain comprehensive and up to date seniority lists and Nominal roll, for the Local , ,, .w1- ,Pa 'I* . Government service as a whole. Sources: Adopted from Egonwan and Ibodje (1999) 'Reinventing local Government of Nigeria from Hierarchy to Participation'.
,( . . 3.4.2 Junior Staff Management Committee This is a body responsible for the appointment of staff on grade levels 01-06 on approval of LGSC, as well as promotion and discipline of staff within the same cadre. Membership of the Junior Staff Management Committee comprises representatives of each of the Departments in the Local Government more importantly for a staff not below grade level 09. The Committee is headed by the Head of Personnel Management and its membership is 9 expected to reflect the geographical spread of the Local Government. The appointment, promotion and discipline of the staff by the Junior Staff Management Committee are usually in accordance with the rules and regulations on staff matters provided by Local Government " Services Commission in the State. In case of any dissatisfaction by a staff on the decision reached by them, such staff has the right to appeal first to the Executive Chairman of the Local Government through the Head of Personnel Management. If such staff is not satisfied helshe has the right to appeal to the Local Government Service Commission, who's decisions on staff matter are final and binding on all who are involved. 3.5 Revenue Sources of Eleme Local Government There are two main sources for revenue to Eleme Local Government which are: 1. Interval Revenue source. 2 External Revenue sources or Government grants. 1. Internal Revenue sources: These are revenues generated within the Local Government Area and are expected to be collected by the Local Government itself. Such revenues include: i. Property rating development rates. ii." Markets and parks, vehicle licenses. iii. Charges on commercial activities. .,,, ."!.,*.3 .>.. . - iv. General Sources. 2. External Revenue Sources or Government Grants I These are revenues made available to the Lpcal Government through the Constitutional
,I . . provisions on revenue sharing among the three tiers of government in Nigeria. In other words, it is statutorily provided for in both the Federal as well as in the State revenue allocations. External sources are categorized into parts: revenue and capital income. a. Revenue income This covers the day to day costs of running existing services. The money comes from three main sources; government grants, local rates and other local sources. a. Capital income This covers the provision of new schools, council houses and public buildings, which will last a long time. The huge sums for new buildings, comes mainly from loans. Additionally, the source of external revenues includes; i. Federation statutory allocation to the Local Government. ii. Monthly Allocation of value Added Tax (VAT) Proceeds to the Local Government. ... 111. State Statutory Allocation to the Local Government in the state, which is 10% of the total internally, generated revenue by the state government. 'LI iv. Loans, bonds and Debentures and v. Grants and Donations. 3.6 Problems of Revenue Source Historical development of revenue has shown that revenue collection is a major function of Local Governments yet the machinery is lacking. Consider for example, the property tax (revenue) which demands for proper identification of property in terms of naming of streets and orderly numbering of houses. In fact, very few towns, cities and villages have their streets properly named and
numbered. The Local Government.<,, ..Trcouncils + r .!* should regard naming of streets and numbering as a first step towards better property tax revenue of both rural and urban centers. It is shameful . for our Local Government Councils to complain of funds and at the same time completely refuse to obey simple rules and regulations controlling funds generation. , . . Generally, property revenue (tax) laws since 1960 are yet to be effectively enforced because our traditional system of property ownership complicates the collection of its revenues coupled with man made obstacles. Why not enforce the property or tenement rate laws which demand for a comprehensive information about all properties to relevant authorities (Local Government) and then make a law against occupying unnumbered and unregistered buildings without the council's C approval? The government should make it an offence for the landlord to prov accommodation without giving receipts to the tenants. Obviously, there are better w: provided the Laws are amended and improved towards a better enforcement and collection C revenue. It is a fact that the States are empowered to impose and collect personal taxes leavj rates and fees for the Local Government. Moreover, it has been revealed long ago through survey that State and Lo Governments could jointly operate without problems in so many areas e.g. property a personal taxes through a direct focus of the law on property. We are developing fast and laws must be adjusted and improved at the same pace, to avoid the evaders winning. w It is also a well-known fact that our Local Governments high revenue collecting cl and unrealistic estimate, in most cases are dangerous factors and need a complete attention the authorities. Let the State tax authorities regard the local government as a better operatio]
+ nucleus for activities, as they are nearer to the tax payers. CHAPTER FOUR DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS The data derived from the questionnaire items were presented and analysed in tabular frequency and percentage. The presentation and analyses were sub divided into two phases namely Section 'A' which comprises of data on leadership and human resources development in Eleme local Government. 4.1 Data Presentation and Analysis SECTION A Table 4.1 Sex Distribution of Responses Sex Frequency Percentage (%) Male 64 57
Source: Field work carried out by the researcher. This table shows that the number of male respondents were 64, representing 57% of the C whole, while the females were 48, representing 43% of the respondents. This shows that a greater number of the respondents, w~re.,male. SECTION B Table 4.2, Responses to item No.4 'Do you agree that the leadership of Eleme Local Government is effective in implementing its Rural Development Programme? , . . 1 Responses 1 Frequency I Percentage (%) I
1 Total 1112 1 100 I Source: Field work carried out by the researcher The above table shows that 40 respondents, representing 36% of the total, agreed that the leadership of Eleme Local Government was effective in implementing its Rural Development functions, while 72 respondents, 64% of the whole disagreed. These responses show that the staff is of the impression that leadership of Eleme local Government is ineffective in carrying out its rural development functions. Table 4.3, Responses to item No 5"Do 'you agree that the leadership of Eleme Local Government is able to achieve participatory democracy as its objective of the Local Government?" 1 Responses I Frequency I Percentage (%) I Yes 29 26
Source: Field work carried out by researcher. Table 4.3 shows that 29 respondents, representing 26% of the total responde~tsagreed that the Leadership of Eleme Local ~overnmintwas able to achieve participatory democracy, while 83 respondents, 74% of the whole disagreed. This implied that, according to the staff, the leadership of Eleme Local Government was not able to achieve participatory democracy in the area. .,,,...l..?. 3 '2.. . Table 4.4, Responses to item No 6'Do you agree that the leadership of Eleme Local Government is ineffective in achieving its policy objectives of the Local Government?". Responses Frequency Percentage (%) , . . I Yes 1 1 61 I No 44 39 Total 112 100
L I I I Source: Field work carried out by the researcher. In this table, 68 respondents, representing 61% of the total, agreed that the leadership of Eleme Local Government was ineffective in achieving its policy objectives of the local government. While 44 respondents, 39% of the whole disagreed. This indicates that the leadership of Eleme local government was ineffective in achieving its policy objectives of the local government according to the staff interrogated. Table 4.5, Responses to item No 7"Do you agree that the poor communication gap between the rural people and other tiers of the government is due to ineffective leadership of the Local Government?' ' Responses I Frequency I Percentage (%) I I I Yes 1 79 I71
Total 112 100 Source: Field work carried out by the researcher. The above table shows that 79 respondents, representing 71% of the total respondents agreed that the poor communication gap between the rural people and other tiers of the government was due to ineffective leadership of Eleme Local Government, while 33 resdondents, 29% of the whole disagreed.
Table 4.6, Responses to item No.,,, 8 ..I.,t "Do,,you 3 agree that poor human and material resources development in Eleme Local Government is due to ineffective leadership of the Local Government?' '
1 Responses . ( Frequency . I Percentage (%) ,I . .. Yes 67 60
I Total 1112 1 100 Source: Field work carried out by researcher. From the responses in the above table, 67 respondents (representing 60% of the total) agreed that the poor human and material resources development in Eleme Local Government was due to ineffective leadership, while 45 respondents, 40% of the whole disagreed. On that vein, the position of 60% of the respondents holds predominant. Table 4.7, Responses to item No 9; Do you agree that poor performance of Eleme Local Government is due to ineffective leadership of the Local Government?" / Responses I Frequency I Percentage (%) I Yes 95 85 No 17 15 / Total 1112 1 100 1 Source: Field work carried out by the researcher. The responses as presented in the above table shows those 95 respondents, representing 85% of the total respondents agreed that the poor performance of Eleme Local Government is due to ineffective leadership of the Local Government. The response implies that according to the staff questioned, the poor performance of Eleme local Government is due to ineffective leadership of the Local Government. ~ablb4.8, Answers of the respondents to item No 10; Are there sufficient numbers of
qualified Personnel Management Staff. ,, ."I* in., %EAeme Local Government?" I Responses I Frequency I Percentage (%) I I Yes 1 27 1 24 I No 85 76 11 , . Total 112 100
I I I I Source: Field work carried out by the researcher. Table 4.8 shows that 27 respondents, (representing 24% of the total) answered yes, while 85 respondents, 76% of the whole answered no. From the derived data, it is clear that the staff believe there are insufficient numbers of qualified Personnel Management Staff in Eleme Local Government. Table 4.9, Responses of the respondents to item No 11, if the answer to item No 10 is Yes ; Do you agree that the number can effectively carry out the Manpower Development Programme of the Local Government?" / Responses I Frequency Percentage (%) Yes 30 No 82 a ( Total 1112 Source: Field work carried out by the researcher. The above table shows that 30 respondents, representing 27% of the respondents answered 'Yes' while 82 respondents, representing 73% of the respondents answered 'No'. * This shows that the available number of qualified personnel management staff cannot execute manpower development programme of the local government. Table 4.10, Respondents response to item No 12; Do you agree that insufficient number of qualified Personnel Management staff will negatively affect the activities of the personnel
4 management Department of Eleme Local Government in implementing human resource
development programme of the loca~,go~~mment?"., ,* Responses I Frequency I Percentage (%) Yes 78 70
I Total 1112 1 100 I Source:.Field work carried out by the researcher. The above table shows that 78 respondents, (representing 70% of the total) answered "Yes" that the insufficient number of qualified Personnel Management Staff in Eleme Local Government negatively affects the activities of the Personnel Management Department in implementing Human Resources Development Programmes. On the other hand, 3L respondents, (30% of the whole) answered No. Table 4.11, Responses to item No.13 Do you agree that there are inadequate Developec Human Resource in Eleme Local Government?" / Responses I Frequency I Percentage (%) I I I Yes 1 69 1 62
Total 112 100 Source: Field work carried out by the researcher. In the above table, 69 respondents, (representing 62% of the total) respondents agreed thal there was inadequate Developed Human Resources in Eleme Local Government.43 respondents, (38% of the whole) disagreed with the statement. From the responses, it is clea that the staff believed there are inadequate Developed Human Resources in Eleme Local Government. Table 4.12, Responses to item No 14 "if the answer to item No.7 is "Yes", does it affect the Local Government Rural Development Programme?" 1'~es~onses I Frequency I Percentage (%)
Total 112 100 Source: Field work carried out by the researcher. I' The responses in the above table shows that 73 respondents, representing 65% of the respondents answered "Yes", stating that there are inadequate Developed Human Resources, which affects the local Government rural development programme. 39 of the respondents, representing 35% of the respondents answered "No", thereby stating otherwise. Table 4.13, Responses to item No 15"Do you agree that poor implementation of Rural Mobilization Programme in the Local Government is due to inadequately Developed Human Resources?" Responses Frequency Percentage (%) Yes 71 63 No 41 37 Total 112 100 J Source: Field work carried out by the researcher. Table 4.13 show that 71 respondents, (representing 63% of the total) agreed that I poor implementation of the Rural Mobilization Programme in the Local Government is due to inadequately Developed Human Resources while, 4 1 respondents (3 7% of the whole) respondents disagreed. In view of the responses, it is clear that staff believe that inadequately - developed Human Resources leads to poor implementation of the Rural Mobilization Programme in Eleme Local Government. Additionally, in the course of the study, data were collected from the Office of the Head of Personnel Management of Eleme Local Government on staff strength of each Degartment and their educational qualifications, which assisted in confirming the capacity and
quality of staff in Eleme Local Government.. ,, .*(. ,) 1+ Table 4.14, The staff strength and the Educational Qualifications of each Department of
, Eleme Local Government Council. EDUCATIONAL OUALIFICATION /DEPARTMENTS ,I . . SCHOOL/QUALIFICATION PERSONNEL I FINANCE I WORKS 1 PHC I TOTAL NIL FSLC,STDC WAECISSCEIGCE GCE I DOCTORATE - - - - -
TOTAL 125 65 112 135 437 Source: Nominal Roll file, Office of the Head of Personnel Management, Eleme Local Government Council. The above table shows that there were only 5 graduates as Administrative Officers to manage the Staff Development effort of the Local Government. (Detailed investigations even showed that only 2 out of the 5 have taken courses in Public Administration and Human Resources Development). This insufficient number of qualified Administrative Officers automatically results in poor functioning of the Department in executing its Manpower Development Functions. In the Finance Department, only 5 staff were bachelor degree graduates, (out of the 5, only one was an accountant, the other 4 were holding degrees in Local Government Finance but not in Accountancy including the treasurer). This situation makes it relatively difficult for the Head of Department to coordinate the activities of the department effectively, and thereby contributes to the poor performance of the department. In
the works department, only 5 were gradygteq,,, .-. (Unfortunately none of the 5 was an Engineer, Surveyor or Architect) In the Health Department there was no staff with a bachelor's degree; : this situation obviously affected the activities of the Local Government on Medical or Health matters. 11 Conclusively, from the above analysis,(Figure 4.14) the table indicates that the Eleme Local Government lacked qualified developed manpower to head various Departments, Units and Divisions in the Local Government thereby leading to the poor performance of the Local Government. 4.2 Findings of the Study The findings documented below are based on the test of the hypotheses. (I) HYPOTHESIS ONE; the leadership of the Local Government is ineffective in achievement of their policy objectives. This hypothesis has been researched upon and proved to be acceptable. In Table 4.2, 64% "' of the total respondents disagreed that the leadership of Eleme Local Government was effective in implementing its Rural Development functions. In Table 4.3, 74% of the total respondents stated that the Leadership of Eleme Local Government was not able to achieve participatory democracy as its objective. Additionally, in Table 4.4, 61% of the total respondents agreed that the Leadership of Eleme Local Government was ineffective in achieving the policy objectives of the Local Government. In view of the above, the hypothesis .I that "the leadership of Eleme Local Government was ineffective in achievement of the government policy objective could be accepted. (2) HYPOTHESIS TWO: Ineffectiveness of the leadership of Eleme Local Government was responsible for its poor performance of the Local Government. This hypothesis has been researched upon and proved to be acceptable. In Table 4.5, 71% of the total respondents agreed that the poor communication gap between the rural peo@le and other tiers of the government was due to ineffective leadership of Eleme local Government. In table 4.6, 60% of the respondents agreed that the poor human and material . ,. ."1. ,I' ' resources development in the Eleme Local Government is due to ineffective leadership of the Local government. In table 4.7, 85% of the total respondents agreed that poor performance of Eleme Local Government was due to ineffective leadership of the Local Government. In view
1, of the above, the hypothesis that ineffectiveness of the leadership of Eleme Local Government is widely accepted was responsible for the poor performance of the Local Government. (3) HYPOTHESIS THREE: Lack of qualified Human Resources Management Personnel in Eleme Local Government were responsible for the poor personnel development effort of the Local Government. This hypothesis has been proven valid. In Table 4.8, 76% of the total respondents stated that there were insufficient numbers of qualified Personnel Management Staff in Eleme Local Government. In table 4.9, of the total respondents stated that the available number of * Personnel Management Staff could not effectively carry out the manpower development programme of the Local Government. Similarly, In Table 4.10, 70% of the total respondents agreed that the insufficient number of qualified personnel management staff in Eleme Local Government negatively affects the activities of the Personnel Management Department in implementing Human Resources Development Programme in the Local Government. Table 4.14 shows that there were only 5 graduate Administrative Officers in Eleme Local Government. This number was small and could not effectively enforce the Personnel Development Programme in the Local Government. Based on these analyses, the hypothesis that "lack of qualified Human Resources Management Personnel in Eleme Local Government was responsible for the poor personnel development effort of the local government can be accepted. (4) HYPOTHESIS FOUR: Inadequate developed human resources in Eleme Local government was responsible for the inability of the Local Government to achieve effective rural development in the area. This hypothesis has been researched upon and proved to be accepted based on the .,,, .-1. 6' 4* ' available data. In Table 4.11, 62% of the total respondents agreed that there were inadequate developed Human Resources in Eleme Local Government. In Table 4:12, 65% of the total respondents agreed that the inadequate developed Human Resources affected the Local
,I . . Government Rural Development Programme. In Table 4:13, 63% of the total respondents agreed that poor implementation of the Rural Mobilization Programme in the Local Government is due to inadequately Developed Human Resources. Also, in table 4:14 shows that there is no qualified engineer in the works Department of Eleme Local Government to assist initiation, execution, supervision, and evaluation of the rural development projects, such as rural roads construction, electrification, water scheme, etc. The same table showed that I there were only 4 functional departments in Eleme Local Government, which could be as a result of developed personnel to man the additional department. Even the additional 4 departments lack adequate developed manpower to head some units and divisions, thereby rendering the activities of such units and divisions a disadvantage in the overall coordination of the rural development of Eleme Local Government. From the analysis, the hypothesis that inadequate Developed Human Resources in Eleme Local Government was responsible for the inability of the Local Government to achieve effective Rural Development could be accepted. OTHER OBSERVATIONS It was also observed that ineffective leadership and inadequately Human Resources w Development as factors of poor performance of Eleme Local Government were generated by other factors which include; (1) The activities of the External environment on Eleme Local Government. These include the activities of 'the political mafia, youth movement (frequent communal clashes, threatening of the lives and properties of the Local Government functionaries, kidnapping and release on ransom or killing of expatriates, sabotaging of pipelines, traditional rulers and the influence of other tiers of Government. All these activities contribute to the delay by the leadership of the Local Government in effectively implementing policies and programmes which are beneficial to the Local Government. ., ,,.... 1. s . ' In addition, unfavourable economic measures applied by the Rivers State House of Assembly on the Local Government have a negative impact on the overall administrative effectiveness and efficiency of the Local Government.
COMMISSION The activities of the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) in Local Government management matters, such as personnel recruitment, planning, development, utilization and retirement, have been unsatisfactory, thereby preventing Eleme Local Government from achieving good performance. The Local Government Service Commission has been unable to recruit a good number of qualified personnel into the Unified Local Government Service, thereby starving the various Local Governments (including Eleme) of qualified manpower. Secondly, the inability of the Local Government Commission to retire workers as at when due to create vacancies for the employment of new and capable hands into the services. This poor personnel management function of the Local Government Service Commission resulted in inadequate human resources development in Eleme Local Government. 4.3 Discussions of Findings of the Study The findings and other observations of this study prove that the leadership of Eleme local government was inefficient and the Human Resources Development inadequate, especially in the following areas: i) Poor Youth Empowerment Programme in the area: Eleme Local Government as part of its poor performance has failed to achieve effective Youth Empowerment Programmes as a means of developing the area and the people therein. Mostly, especially, as the Local Government had failed to provide scholarship scheme for the rural indigenes, failed to facilities in the existing primary and secondary schools and failed €0 erect government crafts development centers in the area. This poor empowerment programme led to shortage of developed manpower, youth restiveness and poor productivity .,,, .... f.J' dl* . in the area all of which are detrimental to the development of any given society. ii) Poor rural development: This study emphasizes that Eleme local government has been unable to initiate durable It . . rural development programme /project for the development and sustenance of the rural people. The few that were initiated could not be co'mpleted due to the absence of qualified personnel to handle such programmes as the rural road construction, rural health scheme, rural electrification, pipe borne water and so on. The inability of a local government to implement such programmes makes the rural people to be far from development which is not for the overall interest of the local government. iii) Ineffective communication.
This is a prevalent case especially between the rural people and other tiers (: government. Eleme Local Government has been unable to bridge effectively th communication gap between its people and the State and Federal Governments. The Local Government has been found ineffective in forwarding the demand of th rural people to other tiers of government, 'and in return feed the rural people with relevar information from the state and federal government. This has resulted to constant denial c constant denial of information, opportunity and provisions from the state and federi government to the rural people, thereby interesting the developmental inadequacy of the ruri area. (v) Inadequate Fund The study also suggests that Eleme local government system lacked appropriat institution and adequate sources of funds. In essence, poor and unreliable systems of fundin contributed immensely to the poor performance of the Local Government System of Nigeri: There was also the related issue of poor staffing. As the Local Government was nc adequately, they could not attract and retain into their service, well trained and experience, sthff. CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Summary Everyone belongs to a community and any Government that embraces the community is the government of the people. According to Obo Osaro (1988) about sixty percent of the Nigerian population are illiterate and about eighty percent of them are not living in rural area. To ensure success in this direction, the present administration, through the 1976 Local Government Reform, has given greater autonomy; greater power and a more suitable financial base to the Local Government to enable them mobilize and integrate the people into the 4 national scheme of things. The analysis shows that the Eleme Local Government area is growing geometrically in terms of population and this has a major implication on the demand for effective Leadership and Human Resources Development. The 1976 Local Government Reform recognizes the Local Government as the third tier government in Nigeria with four basic objectives aimed at developing the rural area and the people therein. However, despite the reform, the Local Government is still performing poorly. Interestingly, it was due to the continuous poor performance of Eleme Local GovCrnment in particular and Nigerian Local Governments in general, that this study was initiated, to examine Leadership and Human Resources, among other factors, in the .c ,,. qm7. 4' , ~$8' performance of Eleme Local Government. In the course of this study the following situations were analysed to: 1) The impact of leadership activities of Elepe Local Government in the achievement of its , . . policy objectives. 2) The poor performance of Eleme local government on the impact of Human Resources Development and Leadership.
3) The inability of the Personnel Management Department of Eleme Local Government to carry out its management functions in the Local Government. 4) Inadequate human resources development as it affected the Local Government performance. 5) The impact of ineffective leadership of Eleme Local Government on the Local Government's performance. Additionally, four hypotheses of the study were tested as stated below:
1. The leadership of Eleme local government was ineffective in the achievement of its policy objectives.
2. The Ineffectiveness of the leadership of Eleme local government was responsible for the poor performance of the Local Government.
3. Lack of qualified Human Resources Management Personnel in Eleme Local Government is responsible for the poor personnel development efforts in the Local Government.
4 Inadequately developed Human Resources in Eleme Local Government is responsible for the inability of the Local Government to achieve Rural Development.
In respect of the study findings, it was observed that the poor performance of the Local Government was specifically noticed in the inability of Eleme Local Government to bridge the communication gap betweei-f'the* rural people and other tiers of the government;
-# poor developmental project in the area and absence of effective youth employment programmes for the rural people.
(1 . . Furthermore, it was also suggested in this study that ineffective Leadership and inadequate human resources development were factors contributing to the poor performance of Local Governments other factors were the activities of the External environment, such as the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, political mafias, Traditional Rulers, Youth Organizations, communal crises, and so on. Conclusively, some suggestions on possible ways of achieving good performance through effective Leadership and adequate Human Resources Development were given. These include effective utilization of the Local Government employees and operational autonomy of the Leadership of Eleme Local Government from the activities of the external environment, increase in the number of Heads of Personnel Management well as regular Human Resource Development Programme.
The importance of the Local Government System, especially in the Nigerian Local 1 Governments, cannot be overemphasized Hence the need for effective Leadership and adequate Human Resources Development in Eleme Local Government as employed in this study.
Moreover the findings of the study showed that the leadership of Eleme Local Government was ineffective and human resources development inadequate both of which contributed to the poor performance of Eleme Local Government in developing the rural area and the people therein. C
The data that were analysed proved the four hypotheses of the study valid. Secondly .,,, . ,"3. 7,' dlt ' it was obvious that the poor performance of the Local Government e.g. the poor communication gap between the rural people and other tiers of government, absence of Human Resources Development Programme/Projects in the area and the absence of Youth
,I . . Empowerment Programmes were detrimental to the life pattern of the rural people.
However, to change the situation in Eleme Local Government, there must be plans and actions to first achieve effective leadership and adequate Human Resources Development, which will obviously change the development of the rural Area. 5.3 Recommendations
In view of the ineffective Leadership and inadequate Human Resources Development responsible for the poor performance of Eleme Local Government in particular, some recommendations are given by the Researcher which include as follows. i) That there be an increase in the number or qualified Personnel Management Staff in the Local Government, to enable the Personnel Management Department function effectively. This increase could possibly be through the recruitment of competent hands and /or the development of the skill and knowledge of the existing staff. ii) That the activities of Political Mafias, Traditional Rulers and Youth Organizations in generating communal crises in the Local Government should be given urgent attention by the Local Government. Eleme Local Government should call them to order through regular social, cultural orientation and peace dialogue in the area. This would help the Local Government enjoy peace and enhance good performance, within its rank as no government can function effectively in a crises environment. iii) ThAt the.function of the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission in Local Government Staff matters should be implemented effectively. Such functions include .,,,.,. T.+. ,'.?a ' recruitment based on merit and personnel planning, training and retirement based on age, health or length of service .This will help the Local Governments to possess the required man power and deploy them at the right time and at the right place. , . . iv) That the Eleme Local Government be granted autonomy, particularly, fiom the hands of the State Houses of Assembly. This would enable the Leadership or the various Local Governments concentrate on their leadership functions v) That the Eleme Local Government carry out regular man power planning's to enable the Local Government prepare for its present and future man power needs. vi) That the Staff be utilized in the proper direction, to enhance productivity in the Local Governments and contribute effectively towards the good performance of Local Governments.
i# vii) That the Menlwomen of proven capability be elected or appointed into leadership positions in Eleme Local Government.
viii) Eleme Local Government employs a regular Human Resources Development Training Programme for the Local Government employees and political office holders to increase their skill and knowledge in administrative matters.
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Dept.of Public Administration and Local Government, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
lothNov, 2005.
Dear SirIMadam
LEADERSHIP AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENTSYSTEM (A CASE STUDY OF ELEME LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF RIVERS STATE)
I am a post Graduate Student in the Sub-Department of Public Administration and Local Government, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka currently conducting a Research on the above subject matter.
You are with this letter, kindly please requested to respond to the attached questionnaire based on your knowledge on the subject'iii8fer ak Your response will be treated confidentially Thank you for anticipated cooperation.
Regards
Megwa Genevieve
MScl04135912 APPENDIX I1
QUESTIONNAIRE
FOR SENIOR STAFF AND POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS OF ELEME LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL ONLY
Instruction
PLEASE TICK good in the box ( } or fill in the blank space where appropriate.
Section A: Biographic Data
1. Sex (a) Male { ) (b) Female { )
2. Educational Qualifications
v. F.S.L.C { )
vi. W.A.E.C/SSCE/GCE { )
vii. ONDINCE { )
viii. AD/HM)/BSC { ) . ,, ..(..?. .,..
ix. PGDIMSC { )
x. DOCTORATE DEGREE { ) ,,
3. Present Position and Department { Section B: Substantial Issues
4. Do you agree that the leadership of Eleme Local Government is effective in implementing its Rural Development Programmes? t
5. Do you agree that the leadership of ~lemeLocal Government is able to achieve participatory democracy as an objective?
6. Do you agree that the leadership of e Eleme Local Government is effective in achieving policy objectives of the Local Government?
7. Do you agree that poor communication gap between the rural people and other tiers of Government are due to ineffective leadership of Eleme Local Government?
8. Do you agree that the poor Human-and Material Resources Development in Eleme Local ' Government is due to ineffective Leadership of the local Government?
9. Do you agree that poor performance of Eleme Local Government is due to ineffective Leadership of the Government? 10. Are there sufficient number of qualified Personnel Management Staff in Eleme Local Government?
1 1. If the answer to the above is "Yes", do you agree that the number can effectively carry out the Manpower Development Programme of the Local Government?
12 If the answer to item No 4 is "No" do you agree that it will affect negatively the activities C* of the Personnel Management Department?
13, do you agree that there are inadequate developed Human Resources in Eleme Local Government.
14. !If the answer to item No 7 is "Yes" does it affect the Local Government Rural Development Programme? . ,, . ,"1. 7,. 3 '
15. Do you agree that poor implementation of rural mobilization programmes in the Local Government is due to inadequate develodkd himan resources. APPENDIX I11
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SENIOR STAFF AND POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS OF ELEME LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL ONLY.
1. In your opinion what is responsible for ineffective leadership in Eleme Local Government?
2. From your observation, what are the effects of the ineffective leadership of Eleme Local Government?
3. Apart from inadequate qualified Personnel Management Staff, what other factors are associated with inadequate Human Resources Development in Eleme Local Government?
4. What are the possible recommendations for the achievement of effective leadership in Eleme Local Government?
5. What, in your opinion, can be employed or used to improve Human Resource development in Eleme Local ~overnment. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ASCON= Administrative Staff College of Nigeria.
F & GPC = Finance and general Purpose Committee.
HOD = Head of Department.
HR = Human Resources.
HRD = Human Resources Development.
HRM = Human Resources Management.
HRT = Human Resources Training.
HRU = Human Resources Utilization.
I IPM = Head of Personnel Management.
ICAN = Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria.
IPM = Institute of Personnel Management.
LGSC = Local Government Service Commission.
NIM = Nigerian Institute of Management.
PHC = Primary Health Care. . .,.. -I. 3,'
UNN = University of Nigeria, Nsukka. LIST OF TABLES
3.1 Clans and Villages Distribution in Eleme Local Government Area.
4.1 Sex Distribution of Respondents.
4.2 Responses of the respondents to questionnaire item No 4.
4.3 Responses of the respondents to questionnaire item No 5.
4.4 Responses of the respondents to questionnaire item No 6. * * * 4.5 Responses of the respondents to questionnaire item No 7.
4.6 Responses of the respondents to questionnaire item No 8.
4.7 Responses of the respondents to questionnaire item No 9.
4.8 Responses to the respondents to questionnaire item No 10.
4.9 Responses to the respondents to questionnaire item No 1 1.
4.10 Responses to the respondents to questionnaire item No 12.
, 1.I?+ '
4.1 1 Responses to the respondents to questionnaire item No 13.
4.12 Responses to the respondents to questionnaire item No 14.
,# . . 4.13 Responses to the respondents to questionnaire item No 15.
4.14 The Staff strength and their Educational qualifications in each Department of Eleme Local Government. LIST OF FIGURES
Fig 2.1 Key Leadership Variables.
Fig 2.2 Leadership Situational Models.
Fig 3.1 Approval Organogram for Local Government in Nigeria.