Local Government

Local government administration occurs at the city, borough, and district, municipal
or county level and is the operation of government closest to where people live.
Local governments have specific local powers and functions not covered by other
levels of government, and local administrators are elected by the local population.
Functions
Local government administration is usually broken up into three functional areas:
political, civil service and judicial. A councilor board of representatives is elected to
serve and make locals laws. This body has an elected leader or mayor. The civil
service area is made up of employed staff or professionals to carry out the work of
the local authority. The judicial area is made up of judges, justices and
commissioners to serve in local courts.
Services
Local administrations are responsible for delivering services to the population. These
include: emergency services such as police, fire and paramedic services; public
water and sewerage; planning; maintaining local environmental health; garbage
collection; local highways maintenance and public transportation. Other provided
services include recording births, deaths and marriages and legal transactions
relating to properties and businesses. The administration manages public burial sites
and cemeteries, public parks, open spaces and other public land within the
jurisdiction.
Finance
Local administrations have the power to raise money through property taxes on
residences and businesses. They also receive revenue from fines, permits and other
fees gathered from the population. Some jurisdictions have the power to levy
additional sales taxes to support local services. Most jurisdictions receive additional
funding and revenue from higher levels of government for services such as
infrastructure, health, education, defense and environmental protection.
Less Common Administrative Functions

Some local government administrations control services typically supplied by the

private sector. These services can include utilities management like electricity
supply or production, water supply, gas distribution and telephone services.
Separate administrative structures and corporations are set up with political
oversight and nonprofit status.
Economic Development
Local administrations are required to attract new businesses, private investment and
people to their area through economic development. They play a role in attracting
state- and federal-funded programs that will derive a local economic benefit and
create employment. Administrations also support tourism and visitor attraction
programs to bring additional revenue to local businesses.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_6560567_define-local-governmentadministration.html

INTRODUCTION
Local government is a sub-governmental organ or body created by the central
government or Act of Parliament to be in charge of political administration of a
locality or a local unit in a state. The United Nations Department of Public
Administration defines local government as
...a political subdivision of a nation (in a federal system, a state)
Which is constituted by law and has substantial control of local affairs,
Including the powers to impose taxes or to exact labor for prescribed
Purposes. The governing body of such an entity is elected or otherwise
Locally selected.1
A number of important factors come out very clearly from this conception. First, that
a local government is a lower level government compared to a national government;
second, it is set up by law and has certain responsibilities. It is normally elected.
Hugh Whalen made some additional contribution when he averred that,
...each unit of local government in any system is assumed to possess
the following characteristics, a given territory and population, an
institutional structure...a separate legal identity, a range of powers and
functions authorized by delegation from the appropriate central or
intermediate legislature and lastly within the ambit of such delegation,
autonomy subject always...to the test of reasonableness.2

These variables were all captured in the Nigerias local government reforms, which
define the local government today in Nigeria hence it could be described as a
government at the grassroots level established by an act of parliament to perform
specific functions within its area of jurisdiction.3 In Nigeria, local government were
created to give self identify and local independence to groups of villagers and to
perform localized functions pertinent to their area of jurisdiction. 4 Since the 1976
Reforms local government have been going through considerable changes to enable
it deliver effective services to the people at the rural areas within the jurisdiction of
the local governments. The 1999 Constitution as amended in the fourth schedule
averred that the main functions of the local government councils were as follows;
1. The consideration and the making of recommendations to a state commission on
economic planning or any similar body oni)
The economic development of the state, particularly in so far as the areas of
authority of the council and of the state are affected, and
ii)
Proposals made by the said commission or body;
a)
Collection of rates, radio and television licenses;
b) Establishment and maintenance of cemeteries, burial grounds and homes for the
destitute or infirm;
c)
Licensing of bicycles, trucks (other than mechanically propelled trucks), canoes,
wheel barrows and carts;
d) Establishment, maintenance and regulation of slaughter houses, slaughter slabs,
markets, motor parks and public conveniences;
e)
Construction and maintenance of roads, streets, street lightings. Drains and other
public highways, park, gardens, open spaces, or such public facilities as may be
prescribed from time to time by the House of Assembly of a State;
f)
Naming of roads and streets and numbering of houses;
g)
Provision and maintenance of public conveniences, sewage and refuse disposal;
h) Registration of all births, deaths and marriages;
i)
Assessment of privately owned houses or tenements for the purpose of levying
such rates as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly of a state; and
j)
Control and regulation of
(i)
Out-door advertising and hoarding,
(ii)
Movement and keeping of pets of all description,
(iii)
Shops and kiosks;
(iv)
Restaurants, bakeries and other places for sale of food to the public
(v)
Laundries, and
(vi)
Licensing, regulation and control of the sale of liquor,
1.
The functions of a local government council shall include participation of such
council in the Government of a state in respects of the following matters
(a) The provision and maintenance of primary, adult and vocational education;

(b) The development of agriculture and natural resources, other than the exploitation of
minerals;
(c) The provision and maintenance of health services; and
(d) Such other functions as may be conferred on a local government council by the
House of Assembly of the state.5
The extent, to which the local governments in Akwa Ibom state have been able to
achieve these set objectives effectively, depends on a number of factors including
how efficient they have been able to take advantage of the various sources of fiscal
resources assigned to the local governments. Currently Nigeria has 774 local
government council areas meant to generate development at the local levels.
Local Government: Raison Detre
It is important to ask why governance at this level is necessary at all. This would
enable a proper evaluation of the local government status quo. The principal
justifications are that;
i) The locale have greater capacity to understand and conduct their affairs in
accordance with the local peculiarities. People are naturally wont to know their
locality better and to understand its needs more than others who are far from them
in the capital cities.
ii) Each locality has economic history, tradition, customs, beliefs and taboos, which
need people at the local levels to operate in accordance with the prevailing norms.
iii) People are usually resistant to change that is not generated from within but
imposed from above, whether it is for their benefit or not. At the same time, the very
people tend to be enthusiastic with commitment to development strategies
Conceived, debated and agreed by them. These are the rationale behind the local
government creation and system.
http://publicecclesia.blogspot.com/2013/01/effective-administration-of-local.html

http://storyofpakistan.com/local-government-system/5
http://www.slideshare.net/fatanews/local-government-reforms-in-pakistan-contextcontent-and-causes
http://spearheadresearch.org/SR_CMS/index.php/researchopinions/pakistan-withand-without-local-government

http://e-government.gov.pk/gop/index.php?
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