Towards Effective Development Centre Administration: An Insight

One of the basic justifications of local government creation in modern polity is to promote participation of local communities in governance and to harness local efforts for development purposes. As such, local government areas are intended to take development closer to the people – serving as a bridge and facilitating interactions between local population and central authorities.

The needs of communities are as elastic as that of individual citizens; and it has been difficult for government to adequately meet them. The complexities of development processes prove that more efforts are needed to guarantee adequate relationship (in terms of governance) between grass-roots people and central authorities, and ensure prompt delivery of democratic dividends to the people. This is what informed the creation of development centres in some states of the federation.

In Enugu state, for instance, it was the government of former governor Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani that introduced it in 2003. Well-intended as it were, the development was considered partial since some local governments had four development centres with administrators; others three or two, while some even had only one.

The government of His Excellency Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwanyi, in its passion to improve the lives of the citizenry, enthroned equity into the system. In July, 2017, the state House of Assembly confirmed 68 development centre administrators nominated by the governor. This brought the number of administrators from 56 to 68, and the number of members from five to 10. Increasing the number of development centres with corresponding administering committees/administrators was in line with the state government’s quest to see that the benefits of his administration get to the ordinary people of the state, since the statutory obligation of development centres is to further and adequately drive home development to the people. The centres therefore become an alternative vehicle for positive development of communities.

With the official inauguration of the development centres of 17 LGAs in June, 2018, the question people now ask is, what exactly have the centres been able to achieve? Such question is not out of place. But before we can judge accurately the relevance and performances of the development centres, it is important that we understand some of the hindrances confronting the administrators, prominent among them being that they are yet to fully begin operations. Kudos goes to the Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi administration for its efforts towards making the development centres function optimally. Very soon, the impact will be felt and highly appreciated.

To this end, there is the need for a proper synergy between local government chairmen and the development centre administrators. The chairmen should see the administrators as partner agents for development; there is also the need for the Ministry of Local Government Matters to sustain its sound regulatory posture. By so doing, the dreams of development centres will be realized.

Similarly, the development centre administration needs the support of constituting villages, towns and communities to be able to better harness human and material resources for local and national development. Town union leaderships, traditional rulers, religious leaders, market leaders and other opinion leaders need to be factored into the equation of the development centre administration to make it effective because they constitute the institutions that represent the people.

It therefore becomes imperative that the administrators of these centres live within their domains. This will afford them the opportunity to effectively interact with the people and know first-hand the challenges facing them and be able to identify appropriate measures to tackle them. The administrators should also identify with women’s groups, age grades and youth associations within their domains to engender a sustainable and people-oriented government. It is also the duty of development centre administrators to create a conducive environment for the people to have a sense of belonging in governance. When government provides environment that makes agriculture, for instance, profitable, it becomes easier to engage or draw upon the resourcefulness of young people in the community. Sometimes, we find that communities, under effective administration, can organise and proffer local solutions to their problems without involving or waiting for government funds.

Again, security affairs in local communities cannot be effective without adequate participation of youths. Government made provisions for communities and villages to have vigilante groups. In organising this security apparatus, it is the youths that constitute a large portion. It is the youths that know the nooks and crannies; they know the good and the bad elements in society. A good relationship with the development authorities, therefore, would make them see protection of lives and property as their personal and collective responsibilities.

The development centre administration must understand the place of sports as a galvanising tool. Grass-roots sports have proven an an effective unifying factor that government should not ignore. Sports are not just about winning, they are about building stronger, healthier, happier and safer communities. Communities that participate in sports activities develop strong social bonds. Sports serve a focal point for community engagement, pride and achievement. It is beyond personal benefits but a focal area for strategies that underpin government policies for community development.

The late South African president, Nelson Mandela, succinctly understands the role of sports when he said, “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sports can awaken hope where there was previously only despair….”

Sporting activities are strong weapons against vices. This is why the development centre administration must engage youths in sports. Similarly, women should be involved in all the stages of community development. This is often through their enlightenment programmes for government policies. They provide voices for the value of child care, promote religious tolerance, care for motherless and abandoned children, encourage nursery and primary education, among others. Some of the centres do not have functional health centres. Against this backdrop, repositioning the health institutions will help reduce maternal mortality and improve health condition of communities in general.

In conclusion, if development centres are adequately administered, we would see the kind of government that champions sustainable development; the kind of government that is in tandem with the United Nations’ definition of community development as “a process by which the efforts of the people are united with those of government authorities, to improve economic, social and cultural conditions of communities; to integrate these communities into the life of the nation and enable them to contribute fully to the national progress.”

Hon Sammie Echi Agbo, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Enugu. 08033736333

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Disclaimer: This article is entirely the opinion of the writer and does not represent the views of The Whistler.