Posted by Chester Morton / Wednesday 12 October 2016 / No comments
The functions of Local Government
Introduction
A Local Government is a local political unit of
the state which is established by law with the powers to administer the local
areas on behalf of the central government.
FUNCTIONS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Law and order
One of the functions of Local Authorities is to
maintain law and order. Where any of the bye-laws of a particular locality is flouted,
the relevant local agencies are there to enforce such laws. Local Authority Courts
also exist so that when culprits are tried and found culpable, they could be
either fined or asked to serve a term of imprisonment.
Less concentration of
power at the centre
The operation of Local Authorities at the local
level is just a representation of the operation of the central government. The
powers of the central government devolve to the local level so that powers are
not concentrated at the centre.
Reduction of workload
As the Local Authorities perform certain function
of government at the local level, the duties that would otherwise have been
performed by the central government is taken by the local government. This is a
reduction of the workload of the central government.
Resource Mobilization
Another function of the Local Authorities is to
mobilize resources for the operations of the local governments. Resource
mobilization by the Local Authorities takes the form of collecting local taxes,
property rates, taking of facilities or loans from the commercial banks.
Provision of essential services
Also, Local Authorities provide markets for
traders to trade in, they also provide toilet facilities so that those who are
hard pressed by nature can use them. They maintain school structures and their
maintenance.
Town planning
It is the function of Local Authorities to plan
the layout of towns and cities. They have the powers to grant permits for the
construction of houses and offices. They also have the powers to pull down any
building that is erected without the necessary permit.
SAMPLE
QUESTIONS
1. a. What are Local Authorities? b. Highlight five functions that they perform.
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