IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE RESEARCH (JPASWR )

E-ISSN 2504-3597
P-ISSN 2695-2440
VOL. 8 NO. 2 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56201/jpaswr.v8.no2.2023.pg57.71

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Caretaker Committees and Local Government Administration in Nigeria: A Study of Isoko North and Ukwuani Local Government Councils of Delta State, Nigeria (2013-2014)

Prof. Mukoro, Akpomuvire, AGIRI, James Eseoghene, OKEREKA, Onofere Princewill Ph.D

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Abstract

It is somewhat worrisome that in spite of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended that local government councils in Nigeria shall be democratically elected local government councils, local government councils have been rubbished by state governors in Nigeria by constituting caretaker committees to administer local government councils in Nigeria immediately after they have been sworn in as state governors. With local government councils caretaker committees, the grassroots are excluded from power and benefits of power. It makes the grassroots not to see themselves as joint owners of the local polity having no hands in the election of their local political leaders. The fundamental objective of this paper is to examine the advent of caretaker committees and its effects on local government administration in Nigeria. A study of Isoko North and Ukwuani local government councils in Delta State, Nigeria, (2013 – 2014) using a qualitative research method which focused on secondary method of eliciting data from existing sources. The theoretical framework applied for this study is the structural functional theory whose proponents were Gabriel Almond, Talcot Parson, Sydney Powell et al. This paper also peruses at autonomy and accountability in local government council caretaker committee. This study finds that caretaker committees are characterized with fraud, irresponsibility and do not embark on community based development projects. The paper finally made some recommendations that would discourage appointment of caretaker committees that would administer local government council in Nigeria among others.

keywords:

Caretaker Committee, Local Government Council, Grassroots, Socio-Economic Development, Accountability, Democratic Government, Financial autonomy

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References:

Abbas B and Ahmad, B.M. (2012). Challenges of democratization at the grassroots in Nigeria:
case study of Taraba State, Research on humanities and Social Sciences 2(7)
http//www.iiste.org.
Adeyemo D. (2005) Local Government Autonomy in Nigeria. A Historical Perspective. Kamlar-
Raj Journal of Socio Sciences.

Agiri, J. E., Erude, U. S. & Ohanyelu, C. N. (2023). Fuel Subsidy and Hyper Corruption in Nigeria.
American Journal of Multidisciplinary Research in Africa, 3(4): 1-7.
https://doi.org/10.58314/891QWT.

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