Assessing Development Initiatives in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State 1999-2002; 2003-2007

Abstract

This paper examines how democracy has been able to foster development in rural communities in Nigeria using Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State as a paradigm of analysis. It focuses on the early years of the current democratic dispensation, 1999-2002 and 2002-2007, when the dispensation was at its teething stage. It asserts that the ushering in of democracy from the military era, after over two decades, came with high expectations from the citizenry, particularly those of the rural communities. The study highlights the concept of democracy with a view to ascertaining whether the principles of democracy were adhered to during the period under review, as well as how the programmes and policies impacted on the lives of the citizenry. It uses the Liberal Democratic Theory as theoretical framework and adopted secondary source of data collection. It recommends, among others, the need to strengthen the local government tier of government in order to meet the aspirations of the grassroots citizenry.