Community Participation and Democratic Governance in Osun State Nigeria

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Date
2017-12
Authors
Hamidu, Abdul Abdullahi
Shehu, Sani
BAKARE, Lawal Ayofe
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Abstract
The paper investigated the impact of community participation on democratic governance in Osun State. Primary and secondary data were utilized for this study. Primary data were collected through the administration of questionnaire and conduct of in-depth interviews. As revealed by the pilot study conducted in the three selected LG As, the study population of 2,357 comprised executive members of the two dominant political parties in the State: APC and PDP (120), traditional chiefs (56), executive members of community development associations (428), executive members of civil society organizations (219), and members of semi-formal organizations (1,534) of the three selected LGAs in State. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample fraction of 20%, making 472 respondents, for questionnaire administration. In addition, six selected stakeholders were interviewed. Secondary data were obtained from books, academic journals, official documents, newspapers, magazines and the Internet. Data collected were analyzed using percentages and chi square. The study revealed that there was low community participation in the governance of the State. The results also showed that there was a significant impact of community participation on democratic governance in Osun State from 1999 to 2015 (X2 = 29.8, p< 0.05). The study concluded that there was an established nexus between community participation and democratic governance in Osun State, Nigeria. It was recommended that government should provide more platforms such as town hall meetings that will encourage increased participation of the people at the community level in the governance of the State. There should be an empowerment bill that has provisions in the code for mandatory public hearing and consultation, sanctioning local officials who potently violate the participatory provisions of the code, and increasing substantive representation of civil society in local government units
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African journal of managemen, social sciences and humanities
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