Community Participation and Democratic Governance in Osun State Nigeria
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
Description
African journal of managemen, social sciences and humanities