LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM AND POLITICAL MOBILIZATION IN NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
The local government system implements the ideals, objectives, programs, and aspirations of the national government at the local level. Local government is the agents as well as the arm of the government at the local level but not a substitute for national government. It merely serves as an instrument for effective and efficient performance and delivery of government services and amenities at the local level. Many local governments in the country have come to be seen as a competent unit of government that is capable of assessing the needs of the local communities and dwellers that can mobilize and harness local resources and talents to satisfy these local needs for sustainable human development.
Local government can also be defined as that tier of government closest to the people, “which is vested with certain powers to exercise control over the affairs of people in its domain”. A local government is expected to play the role of promoting the democratic ideals of a society and co-ordinating development programme at the local level. It is also expected to serve as the basis of socio-economic development in it’s locality. These powers should give the council substantial control over local affairs as well as the staff and institutional and financial powers to initiate and direct the provision of service and to determine and implement projects so as to complement the activities of the state and federal government in their areas and to ensure through devolution of functions to these councils and through the active participation of the people and their traditional institutions, that local initiative and response to local needs and conditions are maximized. Local governments are the closet level of government to the people at the grass-root and are capable of possessing knowledge of the people’s needs, problems and potentials. The local governments therefore are competent levels of government are capable of reducing political, economic, social, and other congestion of responsibilities in the central government when there is an increase in their competence and