Rivers State College Or Education Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt. Abstract. And. Nnodim A. Ukachukwu. Department Or Science And Technical Education.
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Emmanuel S. Urang Ministry Or Agriculture Port Harcourt And Godspowcr J. Irikana (PhD) Department or Social Studies Rivers State College Or Education Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt. And Nnodim A. Ukachukwu Department Or Science And Technical Education Rivers State University or Science And Technology Port Harcourt Abstract Community leaders play significant roles in the development of their communities. This paper aims at examining the role of community leaders in the development of the rural Andoni communities and the problems they face in executing their roles. Multistage sampling procedure was adopted. 120 community leaders and another 120 noncommunity leaders from 20 communities in the 4 clans of the area were randomly selected for the study. A structured interview schedule sectionalized into three parts was used to collect information from respondents. It was found that community leaders contributed immensely to the infrastructural development of the area. There was a positive perception of the people on the leaders' effective planning and execution of projects which Jed to the improvement of the social-economic lives of the people. However, inadequate finance, chieftaincy conflicts and corruption of some leaders were identified as some of the problems being faced by the community leaders in the execution of their roles. To fast track development in these rural communities, therefore, adequate and deliberate attention needs to be given to them . Introduction Ideas and actions - of individuals and others in every social systemorganizations, communities or families are always influenced by certain key persons. These are persons that have the privilege to shape the lives of members and the direction and achievement of the group. Some of these privilege individuals may have a positive impact on their fellow members' lives and on the progress of their societie~. while others may impact negatively and receive condemnation from fellow members.
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OMM liN lTY LEADERS ANI> RURAL I>EVl~ LOPMENT: TilE ' XI' EitU: E OF ANDONI IN Til~ NIG~It DELTA
By Emmanuel S. Urang Ministry Or Agriculture Port Harcourt And Godspower J. Irikana (PhD) Department Of Social Studies Rivers State College Or Education Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt. And Nnodim A. Ukachukwu Department Of Science And Technical Education Rivers State University Of Science And Technology Port Harcourt Abstract Community leaders play significant roles in the development of their communities. This paper aims at examining the role of community leaders in the development of the rural Andoni communities and the problems they face in executing their roles. Multistage sampling procedure was adopted. 120 community leaders and another 120 noncommunity leaders from 20 communities in the 4 clans of the area were randomly selected for the study. A structured interview schedule sectionalized into three parts was used to collect information from respondents. It was found that community leaders contributed immensely to the infrastructural development of the area. There was a positive perception of the people on the leaders' effective planning and execution of projects which led to the improvement of the social-economic lives of the people. However, inadequate finance, chiefiaincy connicts and corruption of some leaders were identified as some of the problems being faced by the community leaders in the execution of their roles. To fast track development in these rural communities, therefore, adequate and deliberate attention needs to be given to them .
Introduction Ideas and actions ~ of individuals and others in every social systemorganizations, communities or families are always influenced by certain key persons. These are persons that have the privilege to shape the lives of members and the direction and achievement of the group. Some of these privilege individuals may have a po itive impact on their fellow members' lives and on the progress of their societie~, while others may impact negatively and receive condemnation from fellow members.
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Ekong (2003) posits that decision making is a very important process of a social system. And that, it entails tl~e reduction of the number of available altcr~ativc courses of nction or behavior in a given situation. Undcgbe (2003), opines that these individuals, the leaders. act in several ways and exhibit several behaviors, which have been variously defined as leadership. Jibowo (2000) defines leadership in three fundamental ways on the basis of whose property it is. Also, Bogardus in Jibowo (2000) defines leadership as personality in action under group situation. It includes the dominant personality traits of one person and receptive traits of some persons and other traits of many persons in such a way that the course of events of the group is changed or determined by one person. Ojoko (2000) describes a community as constituting those residing in a given locality who shares certain interest, common background or goals. The rural sociologists according to Jibowo (2002) consider three basic things, (background, culture. religion and interest) in an attempt to define community. Similarly, Chanan (2000) defines a community as a number of people who have some degree of common identity or concerns often related to a particular locality or conditions. Chanan (2002) again note that a community is not a thing~ it is a number of people who have repeated dealings with each other. Jibowo (2000) considers the functions of community leaders in agricultural extension and rural development as education, legitimating, planning, Programme execution, spokesmanship, father-figure and summoning to meetings. In all, it the vision of Chanan (2002) that a·community where community life is flourishing is one in which most people are highly motivated and confident that they can, through acting with others, make some difference to the conditions in which they live. They felt attached to their locality, want to protect its good features and improve its bad. Lack of good leadership is often mentioned by rural people as an obstacle to community development, particularly in dealing with rural communities and decaying inner city neighborhoods. The term leadership has become a code word for the social aspects of community development (Flora, 200 I). Flora (200 I) assumes that leadership is an innate individual ~har_acteristic based on the conception that community members have the fundamental role m the development of their IQcal units to which they belong to. This is because the members of these communities are considered leaders in their communities and can influence and encourage other community members to participate in all stages of rural development I
The objectives of the study are: (i) To determine the role of community leaders in rural ~ommunity development. and (ii) Identify the problems that they face in performing their roles.
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Ekong (2003) posits that decision making is a very important process of a social system. And that, it entails the reduction of the number of available alternative courses of nction or behavior in a given situation. Undcgbe (2003), opines that these individuals, the leaders, net in seveml ways and exhibit seveml behaviors, which have heen variously defined as leadership. Jibowo (2000) defines leadership in three fundamental ways on the basis of whose property it is. Also, Bogardus in Jibowo (2000) defines leadership as personality in action under group situation. It includes the dominant personality traits of one person and receptive traits of some persons and other traits of many persons in such a way that the course of events of the group is changed or determined by one person. Ojoko (2000) describes a community as constituting those residing in a given locality who shares certain interest, common background or goals. The rural sociologists according to Jibowo (2002) consider three basic things, (background, culture, religion and interest) in an attempt to define community. Similarly, Chanan (2000) defines a community as a number of people who have some degree of common ' identity or concerns often related to a particular locality or conditions. Chanan (2002) again note that a community is not a thing; it is a number of people who have repeated dealings with each other. Jibowo (2000) considers the functions of community leaders in agricultural extension and rural development as education, legitimating, planning, Programme execution, spokesmanship, father-figure and summoning to meetings. In all, it the vision of Chanan (2002) that a·community where community life is flouri shing is one in which most people are highly motivated and confident that they can, through acting with others, make some difference to the conditions in which they live. They felt attached to their locality, want to protect its good features and improve its bad. Lack of good leadership is often mentioned by rural people as an obstacle to community development, particularly in dealing with rural communities and decaying inner city neighborhoods. The term leadership has become a code word for the social aspects of community development (Flora, 2001 ). Flora (200 I) assumes that leadership is an innate individual ~ha~cteristic based on the conception that community members have the fundamental role m the development of their IQcal units to which they belong to. This is because the members of these communities are considered leaders in their communities and can influence and encourage other community members to participate in all stages of rural development I
The objectives of the study are: (i) To determine the role of community leaders in rur:al community development. and (ii) Identify the problems that they face in performing their roles.
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Methodology Andoni is mndc up of tour clans Ngo. Unyenda , Ataba and Asarama. It shares border with Bonny, Okrikn. Goknna, Khann and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas. The area covers a large expanse of the Eastern Delta fringe \Vith many thickly populated towns, villages and hamlets. The main occupation of the people is fishing. • Multistage sampling procedure was adopted. In the first stage a Jist of 20 communities from the four clans was made. Two projects were randomly selected from each of the clans of the local govemment area. In the second stage, a preliminary list of the chiefs, chaim1en and secretaries ?f community development committees (CDCs), women and youths leaders of the 20 communities previously selected were also made. 120 respondents were randomly selected in this stage. In the last stage, 6 persons (men and women) were again randomly selected from each of the 20 communities giving a total of 120 persons. A structured interview schedule was sectionalized into three parts to collect infonnation from the respondents. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the data generated Results and Discussion Table 1 (a): Distribution of Community Leaders based on their demographic characteristics (n=120) Variable
Frequency
Percentage(%)
Age in yet1rs Young (under 40) Middle (40-50)
25.0 54.2 20.8
30
Old (above 50)
65 25
Gentler Male Female
20
83 .3 16.7
100
Education Formal
Non-formal
I 05 87.5 15 12.5 Source: Field Survey 2006.
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.M ct hodology 1\ndoni is made up of four clans Ngo, Unyenda, Ataba and /\sarama. ll shares border with Bonny, Okrika. Gokana, Khana and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas. The area covers a large expanse of the Eastern Delta fringe with many thickly populated towns, villages and hamlets. The main occupation of the people is fishing. • Multistage sampling procedure was adopted. In the first stage a list of 20 communities from the four clans was made. Two projects were randomly sele~;ted from each of the clans of the local government area. In the second stage, a preliminary list of the chiefs, chairmen and secretaries of community development committees (CDCs), women and youths leaders of the 20 communities previously selected were also made. 120 respondents were randomly selected in this stage. In the last stage, 6 persons (men and women) were again randomly selected from each of the 20 communities giving a total of 120 persons. A structured interview schedule was sectionalized into three parts to collect information from the respondents. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the data generated
Results and Discussion T~able 1 (a): Distribution of Community Leaders based on their demographic characteristics (n=120) Variable
Frequency
Age ;, yeflrs Young (under 40) Middle (40-50) Old (above 50)
30 65 25
Gemler Mate Female
100 20
Percentage (%)
25.0 . 54.2 20.8
83.3 16.7
Edumtion Formal Non-formal
I 05 87.5 15 12.5 Source: Field Survey 2006.
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Table 1' (b): Distribution of non-community leaders based on their demographic characteristics (n=120) Variable
Percentage (o/o)
Frequency
Age in years Young (under 40) Middle (40-50) Old (above 50)
43 50 27
35 .8 41.7 22.5
82 38
68.3 31.7
93 27
77.5 22.5
Geuder Male Female
Education Formal Non-formal
Source: Field Survey 2006.
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Distribution of respondents based on their demographic characteristics. The distribution of community leaders based on their demographic characteristics (table I a) reveals that majority (54.2%) of the community leaders were wit!lin the middle age bracket (40-50) years. 25% of the leaders were below 40 years. Again more male (83.3%) were in leadership position than the female with only 16.7%. The result also shows that most (87.5%) of the community leaders had formal education. It may be inferred that more matured persons who had formal education and not just youths were at the helm of affairs of the various communities in the area. The distribution of the demographic characteristics of non-community leaders (table 1 b) also shows a higher per
