INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Local government is the government of the grass root level, every government whether federal, state or local government place a lot of emphasis of goods to achieve it there fore become imperative that local government msut device standard guidelines to answer that it will perform the duties for which they were created to achieve.
The issue of corruption on local government in Nigeria has been a problem that had engaged the attention of many scholars and public commentators in recent times. Corruption is not restricted to Enugu North local government alone as it is equally the same in other local government councils in Nigeria what I am therefore contending in their work is that apart from performance and accountability models acclaimed by Enugu North local government council, the problem of corruption is still the order of day in the local government.
Enugu North local government like every other local government is the third tiers of government which services as a vetride that transport the local people to the national government. Nigeria local governments of which Enugu North is once ot hem have undergone several reforms which empowers it as the third tiers of government. Some at thses reforms include 1976, 1977 and 1980 reforms Ugwuonwu (1999:301) Enugu North have eb found with the problem of corruption such as lack of accountability dishonesty, fraudulent activities etc which have in one way or the other contributed to the poor development of the local government.
However, the local government throughout the country were attend in 1995 invite the leadership of General sani Abacha. The administration introduced the caretaker committee system with a chairman. Meanwhile asa no amendment have been made to the previous reforms and decress the power to make the bye-law with still rest or the council castler committee and chairman. As a result of short-term in office by the caretakers committee and chairman, within the short term they will stay, they will abandon the economic, social and political goals of the immoderation post government and divert local government resources to provide parts and these happen almost every time and its become a hinderance to local government development in Enugu.
During 2993-2006 because of state and local government joint account, when local government allocation come through joint account, some state governor will hijack the man meant for local government chairman permit as allociton, chairman then gave his political appointee small amount of money and put the remaining to his private account. For instance, one of the state in the sourth East each local government suppose to receive N7m but their general will transverse and gave chairmn of each local government N7m and asked them to sign that they collect at this has been a problem of local government development in Nigeria.
Statement of the Problem
Local government still have the people of corruption disregardin the efforts made by the federal government to ensure efficient financial management on the local government system.
Ozor (2000:55), stated that the mismanagement of government funds, sometimes with the knowledge of government functionaries have been re-echoring in the various tribunals of inquiring throughout the country.
Corruption has become an intractable and disturbing issue boarding the local government system in Nigeria like any improved standard of living has encouraged people to sick for economic, social and political emanicipation eual competitive spirit, equality before the law and nobody shall be marginalized. The and nobody shall be magargainlized. The moral people are witnessing low productivfity, infact poverty is common among the majority of the people. For the fact that local council officials have allowed corruption to intrude their likes so uch that the reserve allocation of people are confiscated by council officials have mode everybody to be interested in meeting up and in the process, atrocities, corruption of different types are perpotenial and penfaield into the entire fabricated the local government.
This work would them set to find the answer to the following questions:
Objectives of the study
The overall objective of this study is to ascertain the impact of corruption on local government in Nigeria using Enugu north local government as a case study. The specified objectives include:
Research Questions
For the purpose of this tudy the following research questions will be examined:
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
For effective performance of any administration, the watch word of such administration will be accountability, honesty and fair paly, so this study will help to reduce the level of corruption in the local government hence, the corruption in local government hence, the factor that contribute to the high level of corruption will be identified.
The research work is significance to the extent that hit will contribute tremendously to the knowledge of impact of corruption in Enugu North local government council. The work also will be of the academic and administration usefulness to all Nigerians whio are interested in comprehending the nature, scope, and dimension has assumed in our society.
The society at large will gain from the study because whom corruption is reduce to the zero level and accountability, honesty and fair play become the order of the day, this will leed to development process, which up till now remains a mirage in our local government council. Lat but not the least, the findings, and recommendations of this study will help to minimize corruption and help to promote proper accountability honesty and fair play in Enugu North local government.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study will cover the impact of corruption on local government development in Nigeria.
The study was limited to Enugu North local government council of Enugu state, which is choosen to be the case study starting from the time time creation till dta and the consequences of corruption council, official in the local government and other government agency which their activities affect the activities of local government.
Limitation of the study
This study was limited by one major factor which is time constraint, as the time for the research for the study was short especially when it had to be combined with lecturers studies and many other write ups. Another constrinats was insufficient of fund in terms of costs of materials for the study and transportation.
The study would have been extended to other local government n Enugu state in order to determine whether similar result could be obtained but time constraints and fund have limited the courage.
Definition of terms
Ackenna (1996:34) capures the damaging cost of corruption to Nigeria over a relatively short period. It is clead from the foregoing that corruption have over the years, endangered a large tide of inefficiencies that lead to colossal extremely large) loses to economic growth.
It is dishonest behaviours it can be say to be a concept of using what you have to get what you want illegal. It is these activities concerning misuse of authority as a result of consideration of personal gains.
Finally, it is abuse of public trus.