The followings outlined points are the reasons for the creation of local government; Local governments are established for a number of reasons which are:
BRINGING GOVERNMENT NEARER TO THE PEOPLE:
The primary reason of establishing a local government is to decentralize the functions and powers of government to ensure that more people participate in the process of governance. When government is decentralized, it checks over-centralization of powers and the concomitant abuse of powers and inefficiency in the provision of services.
EVEN AND RAPID DEVELOPMENT:
A local government is generally regarded as a powerful instrument for community development. Through the local government system, the entire nation is broken into small local government areas. These areas constitute centers for development at the grassroots level. The areas serve as units for equitable sharing of government amenities.
RECOGNITION OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND THE USE OF TRADITIONAL POLITICAL STRUCTURES:
Various communities within a state differ in their culture, tradition and needs. Through the local government system, these variations are recognized and provided for. Local governments are structured to take into account the traditional political organization and culture of the people. Adequate attention is paid to providing adequately for the peculiarities of various areas in the nation.
POLITICAL LEADERSHIP TRAINING
A local government provides a forum for potential politicians to start to learn the techniques and skills of politics. During local government elections they learn how to campaign and contest elections. In the local government council meetings, councilors learn how to serve in communities, how to preside over committees. They also learn how to represent wards functionally. With these experiences they can graduate to perform effectively at the national level in politics.
PROVISION OF SERVICES AT THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL:
Local services are better provided at a level where they can be effectively utilized. Local knowledge of certain local services which are needed in certain areas is essential for effective provision of such services; local people possess the capability of identifying their local needs well and devising appropriate means and strategy for satisfying them. The federal government is too far away to accurately judge both the problems of the local people and the means of solving them.
EXPLOITATION OF LOCAL RESOURCES THROUGH SELF-HELP
In some countries, local government serves as effective means of exploiting and harnessing local resources through self-help efforts. Local government serves as instruments of mobilization of the people for community development. The people levy themselves in order to provide certain essential services such as good roads, water supply, schools and colleges. Community leaders and professionals offer their specialized knowledge and skills free of charge through self-help programmes.
EXPERIMENTATION OF POLICIES:
As local government areas are small, they provide appropriate experimentation grounds. This means that certain policies of government can be tested in certain selected local government areas. If the test proves successful, it could be executed on a national scale. But if the experimentation fails, then the policy is quickly dropped without much loss of resources.
COMMUNICATION LINK AND CITIZENSHIP TRAINING:
A local government serves as a tow-way communication link between the government and the people. The government, through the local government educates the people on what the government has done; the problems of government and what the government expects the people to do.
On the other hand, the people inform the government of their needs, aspirations and problems through the local government. The local government headquarters serves as an information centre for the local inhabitants, through such information’s, citizens acquires more valuable citizenship training.
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