Revenue Outlay and Community Development in Ezeagu Local Government of Enugu State, Nigeria

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue III, March 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Revenue Outlay and Community Development in Ezeagu Local Government of Enugu State, Nigeria

Martin Ifeanyi Okeke (Ph.D)¹, Hyginus Chukwuebuka Ofodu², Johnpaul Onyebuchi Nduba^3
1Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria
²Department of Political Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria
³Department of Political Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria

Abstract-The paper is the evaluation of the revenue outlay and community infrastructure development in Ezeagu Local Government of Enugu State between 2012-2018. Local governments have not performed creditably with regards to her constitutional duties and allocations and therefore necessitate this study. Adopting Developmental Theory of Local Government as its framework of analysis, the research employed both descriptive statistical technique and thematic analysis in analysing data sourced from the questionnaire and interview. From the analysis, the study revealed that the revenue outlay to the Local Government is not significant to run her offices and as well initiate development projects geared towards improving the standard of living within the communities. Furthermore, the study found out that there is no significant relationship between revenue outlay and community development initiatives in Ezeagu Local Government Area. Finally, the study revealed that the expectations/services of the local government were not significantly met within the period of study. Against this backdrop, the study recommends that the federal government should endeavor to mobilize the already established Nigeria Financial Intelligent Unit (NFIU). This is a system that can control the financial movement of the local government funds. This system is to checkmate that the local government gets what is due for them from the federation account and this to a large extent will abate the state interference of the local government allocations and accord the local government the opportunity to meet up with her constitutional mandate.Also Ezeagu local government should endeavor to delve into agriculture as they are blessed with fertile land with large land mass.

Key words: local government, revenue outlay, infrastructure, community development

I. INTRODUCTION

Local government is the third tier of government of local level created by an act of parliament. The 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the spirit of 1976 local government reforms strategically position local government as third-level of government to provide public goods and services whose benefits and impacts are localized in nature (Egwaikhide, 2004). This point implies that local government councils in Nigeria being the closest to the people occupy peculiar position as promoters of grassroots mobilization and participation in governance, and catalyst for rural transformation and development.

Read More