The Role of Development Centres (Development Areas) In Community and Grass Root Transformation: A Study of Amachi Development Centre

Abstract

This paper focuses on the role of development centres (development areas) in economic and political development of local communities and grass root transformation. It is aimed at identifying the activities of development centres (development areas) in grass root transformation of communities in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The findings of the study indicated that; incompetency on the part of staff and management authority is partly responsible for the poor state of affairs in the various communities that make up Abakaliki Local Government Area. The study used descriptive method of research on the existing literature on the subject matter and concluded that the quality and quantity of social services provided by the Development Centre has not shown any significant and commensurate relationship with the fund earmarked for developmental projects, that political interference and inadequate autonomy greatly affected developmental strides of the various communities in Abakaliki Local Government Area. It is the position of this study that incompetency, lack of political and administrative autonomy have become a cog of wheel in the social and economic transformation of our local communities. The paper therefore suggested that to ensure a governmental and democratic rule in the development areas that will bring about societal development and transformation, there should be opportunity to various constituents to nominate candidates qualified for appointive positions zoned to their constituents, financial independence of development areas, emphasis on meritocracy, attitudinal change and positive perception among the team players in politics.

Keywords: Development Centres, Grass root transformation, incompetency, Social Services and Management Autonomy. Management Committee, Coordinator, Development Areas.