Contending Issues in the Niger Delta Crisis of Nigeria - Journal of ...

Dr. Akpomuvire Mukoro
When the nation’s statute books and reform efforts are critically
examined, local governments are portrayed as true representatives of
grassroot democracy. But as Barber (1982) has observed, they are
characterizing by “capricious selection of minor improvement and
major impairments”. The process of its operation and the constitution
itself should provide for that atmosphere where autonomy and true
democracy reigns. This position is in line with member states of the
United Nations who meet in April 1996. They identified the problems
confronting local governments in many developing countries as very
critical (U. N.; 1996). They opined that ‘local governments that have
real power can more effectively address local interests as well as
exercise a check on operations at the higher levels of authority’.
This paper hinges its argument on the fact that local government
system in Nigeria has all along not been democratic. It goes on to
point out that the persisting problems in the Niger Delta region is a
fall out of operating a faulty federal system which is not only centrist
but also defective.
Explanation of Terms
Three major terms comes to mind prominently in the body of this
paper. They are Democracy, Governance and Local Government.
Attempt is made here to explain these terms in the context in which
they were used in this paper.
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