ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE COMMISSION IN MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT IN KADUNA AND NIGER STATES
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Date
2020-02-13
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Publisher
Ahmadu Bello University Zaria
Abstract
The study is an Assessment of Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) in Manpower
Development in Kaduna and Niger States. The overall question to be asked in this study is why
is it that despite the various Local Government efforts in reshaping, refocusing and reorganising
the Local Government for effective service delivery, the skilled manpower capacity is still very
low? The objectives of the study are to; examine the manpower development effort of the LGSC,
assess the effectiveness of the recruitment process adopted by the Local Government Service
Commission; examine the effectiveness of training in enhancing manpower development,
examine the relationship between motivational factors and manpower development and
determine how funding affects manpower development in the Local Government Service
Commission of Kaduna and Niger states. The null hypotheses are; there is no significant
relationship between Recruitment process and Manpower Development in Kaduna and Niger
States Local Government service. There is no significant relationship between training and
Manpower Development in the Local Government Service; there is no significant relationship
between staff Motivation and Manpower Development in Kaduna and Niger States Local
Government Service and there is no significant relationship between funding and Manpower
Development in Kaduna and Niger States Local Government Service. The study used the Survey
research method, which was conducted in a total of Six Local Governments from two States,
namely Kaduna North, Kachia, and Ikara from Kaduna State, and Chanchaga, Bida, and Suleja
from Niger State i.e three from each. The study employed the use of both questionnaires and
interviews as the primary sources of data collection while annual reports, bulletins and official
documents were the secondary sources. Both purposive and stratified sampling techniques were
employed to arrive at our sample, while Data was analysed and hypothesis tested using bothregression analysis and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Findings reveal that, there is poor
manpower planning on the part of the LGSC of both States, exacerbated by erratic recruitment
by the Junior Staff Management Committee (JSMC); there is a growing incidence of interference
by politicians in the LGSC‘s recruitment , posting and discipline of the senior staff; presently
there is a penchant for running seminars and workshops which are not intended to inculcate
specific but mere routine lecture delivery to staff and finally; there is virtually no motivational
factors in place for the staff of these Local Governments. From the above findings the followings
were recommended; there‘s a need for the LGSC of both Kaduna and Niger states to plan and
structure the allocation of manpower of the establishment based on its functional needs and
volumes of work.; there should be enforcement of strict merit based recruitment exercise bereft
of any form of intervention from state and non-state actors. The exercise must be widely
publicised to attract capable and skilled applicants that can positively affect the capacity of
manpower in the local government. Others are; there is a need for a comprehensive training
policy in the LGSC through a training needs assessment which will reveal areas of greatest
performance deficiency and identify what skills that need enhancement most. Training policy
should be comprehensive, forward looking and should have benchmarks for performance; and
finally there is the need for general improvement in staff motivation this must include but not
limited to increment in staff remuneration, Housing and furniture allowance car loan, cafeterias
to mention a few.