IMPACT OF INTER-GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILS IN NIGERIA  (A CASE STUDY OF  ABA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL OF ABIA STATE
ABSTRACT
The topic of this research project is “The Effects of Inter-Governmental Relations on the Performance of Local Government . A case study of Aba North Local Government Area of Abia State” The need for the research work arises due to the inevitable nature of inter-governmental relations in a federal system of government, and its imperative contribution toward the achievement of state goals and objectives if effectively utilized. The researchers used both primary and secondary sources of data with structured questionnaire as the major instrument used. The population for the study is 834 staff of Aba North Local government of Abia State, while the sample size is 270. The simple random sampling technique was used in selecting the sample for the study. Whereas the data collected were presented and analyzed using simple statistical instrument of frequency, percentage and table. The study revealed that local government interactions and relations with higher governments in the twenty-first century  have helped them to improve the performance in local government. The study identified some areas of inter-governmental relations relevant to local government performance such as revenue collection, public order and security maintenance etc, and sources of conflict such as state, local government joint account, electoral relations, staff matters relations. The study also identified some measures to make inter-governmental relations an instrument to improve local government performance. Based on these findings the researcher recommended for constitutional amendment. The researcher recommended for the abolition of state local government joint account, abolition of state electoral commission and the election of local government officials by the federal electoral commission rather than states. Finally, the researcher recommended for local government autonomy, both in theory and in practical.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION       
1.1     Background of the study                   
1.2    Statement of the problems                
1.3    Objectives of the study                      
1.4    Research question                 
1.5    Hypothesis                                
1.6    Theoretical foundations of the study        
1.7    Significance of the study                     
1.8    Scope of the Study                         
1.9    Limitations of the study                        
1.10    Definition of terms and Acronyms                 
    References                            
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1    Definition of Inter-governmental Relations           
2.2    Distribution of Jurisdictional Powers among Level
of Government                           
2.3    Local Governmental Fiscal Relations               
2.4    Administrative mechanism for managing
Inter-Government Relations                   
2.5    Local Government Inter-Government Relations in
Nigeria (1999-2003)                     
References                          
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
3.1     Research Designs and Method              
3.2    Sources of Data Collection                   
3.2.1  Primary Sources of Data                
3.2.2 Secondary Sources of Data                
3.3    Location of the Study                
3.4    Population of the Study                      
3.5    Sample  Size Determination                
3.6     Sampling Technique                                     
3.7    Instrumentation                            
3.8    Validity of instrument                   
3.9    Reliability of the instrument                    
3.10 Method of Data Collection                   
3.11 Instrument Distribution and Return Rate       
    Reference                                  
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS  OF DATA
4.1    Research questions                          
4.2    Testing of Hypotheses                        
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
5.1    Summary of Findings                      
5.2    Recommendation                       
5.3    Conclusion                             
Bibliography                              
Appendix                             
Questionnaires                                
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1    Background of the Study
Inter-governmental relations are an inevitable phenomenon in any Federal system or non federating systems (Angahar, 2013:2). As long as the Nigerian Federation continues to survive, resource sharing adjustments will continues to feature as an important fiscal arrangement in the federation and this will continue to play a vital role in the operation and structural inter play of the federation.
Federalism is all about sharing, that is, the sharing of powers, functions or responsibilities and resources among levels or government. In the view of Wheare (2003:10), federalism or the federal principle is the method of dividing powers so that the federal or state governments are each, within a sphere, co-ordinate and independent. Federal unions are informed and sustained among other forces, by the pressure of unity in diversity, or by the mutually contradictory motives which Waths (2000:2), refers to as “the desire to build an efficient and dynamic modern state and the search for identity or regional distinctiveness. Inter-governmental consultation, competition and conflict which cut across the formal inter-tier division of powers in which one tier is neither willing or able to ignore the other as they interact cooperatively and conflictingly seem to be the hall marks of modern federal government. Other recent writers, unanimously agreeing that there is no pure federal model have further clarified the concept of federalism that was envisioned by Wheare (2003:4). Variously than they have observed that federalism implies some form of decentralization, regionalism, administrative cooperation or co-operative federalism, political inter-dependence and some form of co-operation, bargaining and conflict, Watts (2005:5).
The purpose of inter-governmental relations therefore, either on the national, state or international level, is to promote co-operation, co-existence, friendship and demented between governments. It has become acceptable in all federations that the citizens could be best served if all levels of government consulted with each other. Towards this end most federal systems have set up permanent machineries for inter-governmental  and federal state-local governments co-operation.
Evidently, federalism symbolizes a political philosophy of promoting diversity-in-unity with decentralization serving as its standing pillar. Decentralization creates space for the devolution of power to sub-national units. It provides the space for constructed adjustment, compromise, and integration of divergent groups interest for better policy making implementation and fiscal allocation. This is necessary yet challenging process. It is challenging process because the needs of the various groups are diverse and conflicting but represents their individual preferred interest for which they are not willing to compromise. And if need be, these individual variegated group interest must be reflected in the national development agenda. Remolding and balancing those diverse interest into a single policy  frameworks for national action without-undermining any groups values requires adopting and utilizing the right mechanism that will confront, manage and resolve the challenges that do arise in the complex and challenging process of joint policy making fiscal allocation and programme implementation. The mechanism that makes this complex balancing possible is the inter-governmental relations, Bassey (2005:29).
This study on inter-governmental relations and the performance of local government councils in Nigeria is therefore necessary for establishing, if inter-governmental relations is still relevant in Nigeria federalism.
1.2    Statement of the Problem
In Nigeria, issues of sharing resources among the three levels of government has remained controversial due to lack of acceptable formula. it generates tensions and bad blood among the three tiers of government. This has resulted in setting up of different committee or commissions to prescribe the formula to be used. Also there exists a conflict between the federal, state and local government over acceptable formula for sharing revenue. For instance, the conflict is usually whether the principle of derivation, need, natural interest or landmass should be used as a basis for the purpose. Even when these principles may be generally accepted as the main basis for working out revenue allocation formula, conflict might arise following as to which of the principle takes precedence over others as the main criteria for sharing the revenue.
Another issue relevant to this study is the existence of control of one level of government by another in any aspect. Local government is dominated by the federal and state governments. They do not have their own autonomy making them too dependent on the other levels of governments. This was observed by Ofodu (2013:68), when he stated that the interfering of the state government on the affairs of local government manifest in many ways. Sometimes both the state and federal governments allocated functions which entail some financial hardness but which, constitutionally are not under the jurisdiction of the which, constitutionally are not under the jurisdiction of the local government council in Nigeria. Nwatu (2012:18) supported this view when he argued that local government autonomy in theory and practice has never been absolute in Nigeria. He maintained that local government autonomy is limited by local government relations with higher levels of government.
1.3    Objectives of the Study
The general objective of this study is to examine inter-government relations and the performance of local government councils in Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study include:
1.    To examine the extent the local government interactions with the state and federal governments has helped to improve the performance of local government in Nigeria.
2.    To investigate the areas of local government relations with higher levels of government relevant to their performance in Nigeria.
3.    To investigate major sources of conflict in local government relations with the higher levels of government in Nigeria that affect performance of Aba South Local Government Council.
4.    To suggest measures to make inter-governmental relations an instrument to improve local government performance in Nigeria.
1.4    Research questions
The researchers developed the following research questions to guide the study:
1.    To what extent does the local government interactions with federal and state governments helped to improve the performance of Aba South Local Government Council?
2.    What are the areas of Local government relations with higher levels of government relevant to the performance of Aba South Local Government Councils in Nigeria?
3.    What are the major sources of conflict in Local Government relationship and interaction with higher levels of government in Nigeria that affect performance of Aba South Local Government Council?
4.    What are the measures to make inter-government relations an instrument of improving Local Government Council performance in Nigeria?  
1.5    Statement of Hypotheses
1.    Ho:    Local government interaction with federal and state government has no significant effect that helps to improve the performance of Aba South Local Government Council.
H1:  Local government interaction with federal and state government has    significant effect that helps to improve the performance of Aba South Local Government Council.
2.    Ho:    Conflict in local government relationship and interaction with higher levels of government in Nigeria has no significant effect on sources of their income.  
H1:    Conflict in local government relationship and interaction with higher levels of government in Nigeria has significant effect on sources of their income.  
1.6    Significance of the Study
Empirically, the study will be of great benefit to Aba South Local Government Council of Abia State. This is because it will be exposing the challenges the Local Government is facing in inter-governmental relations. The study will also benefit other Local Governments state governments and the federal government at large.
The study will as well be significant to policy makers and policy implementers especially now people are calling for local government autonomy. The findings and recommendations of this study will guide them in making decisions over some matters regarding local government in Nigeria.
Theoretically, the study will be important to other future researchers by a way of making them aware of problems that have been uncovered by the researcher so that they would know where to start from in their subsequent research work in the area of the study. Also the study will serve as a good reference material to future researchers in related area, most especially those in management and social sciences/humanities.
1.7    Scope of the Study
The research work is concerned with inter-governmental relations and local government. A case study of Aba South Local Government Council of Abia State.  
The study examined the extent the local government interactions with the state and federal governments has helped to improve the performance of local government in Nigeria. The study investigated the areas of local government relations with the higher government relevant to its performance in Nigeria. It also investigated major sources of conflict in local government relations with other levels of government, and the measures to make inter-governmental relations an instrument to improve local government performance in Nigeria.
The research work is limited to Aba South Local Government Council of Abia State. The findings obtained from the study could be applied generally to appraise better the inter-governmental relations and the performance of local government councils in Nigeria.
1.8    Limitations of the Study
A very outstanding problem facing this study is the reluctant attitude of the respondents to give useful information for the study. Information demanded was regarded as private and will not be disclosed to the researcher. Similarly, the bureaucratic  nature of the local government where vital data about their relations with the higher governments were sought, contributed to the lack of cooperation by the respondents. The researcher was also subjected to difficult formal rules and regulations before any material and information was made available to them.
1.9    Definition of Terms and Acronyms
Some of the terms or concepts are defined below in the sense that they are used in the research work.
Government:  According to Angahar (2007) this is define here as an institution of state through which the society attempts to make, and attain its goals.
Administration: According to Wherare (2003) this here means the coordination of human and material resources to achieve the required objectives of the state.
 Local Government: According to Ofodu (2013) this is the third tier of government within the state and is charged with the responsibility for the administration of the people at the grass-roots.
Local Government Autonomy: Local Government autonomy refers to the freedom of the local government to recruit and manage its own staff, raise and manage its own finances, make bye-laws and policies and discharge its functions as provided by law and receive its statutory allocation without interference from the higher governments.
Inter-Governmental Relations:  According Nwatu (2012) this can be defined here as the system of relations, transactions among structured levels of government in a state. It is inter-governmental relations that exist between the different levels of government in a state.  
Power: Power involves the capacity of an actor to carry out his will despite opposition as well as the ability of one actor to compel another actor to do something he would not ordinarily have done.
Federalism:  According Angahar (2007) this is a system of government in which power and responsibilities are shared between the central government and the regional governments.
System: By a system we mean at least a high degree of interdependence. It means a number of units which interact to form a whole.