AN ASSESSMENT OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS AND ITS IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION

ABSTRACT: When a state has more than one level of government, it is assumed that there will be some existing framework and procedures in place to deal with the interdependence that will occur. Intergovernmental relations are describes the interactions between various levels of government within a state. However there is need to examine how intergovernmental relations affects administration at the local level.

This study is focused on the effect of Intergovernmental Relation on Local Administration in Offa Local Governmen Area in Kwara State. Forty-seven (47) respondents who are staffs of Offa Local Government Council were selected from the research population using the convenient sampling method. Thirty-Nine (39) respondent returned their questionnaires and was validated for the study. Data was analyzed using frequency and table. Hypotheses was tested using Chi-Square. Using 2 degree of freedom at 5.991 critical value and 8.3 chi-square reveals that revenue allocation Revenue allocation system has a significant effect on the Performance of the Local Government administration. Using 2 degree of freedom at  5.991 critical value and 9.9 chi-square table reveals that Intergovernmental relations has a significant effect on the performance of Local Government administration. Findings from the study revealed that local government administration have been characterized by different problems which includes poor funding, lack of autonomy, lack of guidelines and techniques, inadequate infrastructure and weakness of internal and external processes. Also it was revealed that Imperfection in the 1999 constitution of Nigeria hampered good intergovernmental relations among the tiers of government. The study therefore recommends that The concept of true federalism should be revisited and practicalized not just in papers. Credible Elections should be conducted at the local government level whereby the governing body should be accountable to the rural citizens as the method of using ‘Transition Committee Chairmen, Caretaker Committee and Sole Administrators’ to run the affairs of local governments do not allow for good intergovernmental relations.