ABSTRACT
This
thesis is a study of the districts and local government administration
in the Northern part of Zazzau Emirate, 1902-1976. It examined the
various processes and fundamental changes witnessed in the spheres of
administrative development at the grassroots level. In pre-colonial
period, the relationship between the emirate central government and its
areas of jurisdiction (towns and villages) was clientele in nature.
There was no direct communication between the major emirate officials
and the areas placed under their control. What charecterised the magnate
was dependence on slave messengers (jakadu), who acted on behalf of
their masters at the emirate capital over their areas of authority
scattered around the emirate. The two basic features of the pre-colonial
system were absenteeism of major officials in the rural areas and
disconnected areas of administration. This system was, however,
radically changed following British colonial intervention early in the
20th century. By 1907, compact districts with resident heads were
created primarily to collect taxes and to maintain law and order. This
development ensured firm consolidation of colonial enterprise and
further indicated clear departure from the old system. In the 1920s and
30s, the district head system was instituted as solid bedrock for
colonial exploitation. From the 1950s, concerted attention was directed
at improving the local government system and, to overturn colonial
legacies. There was a shift and new approach to development oriented
administration at the local level. In post-Independence Nigeria, the
predominance of traditional authorities was challenged and supplanted
with popular and participatory (democratic) local government system. The
culmination of this was the revolutionary 1976 Local Government reform
which insulated and reduced traditional authorities to mere advisory
functions in the affairs of local government system. Institutions of
coercion - police, court and prison, hitherto controlled by the Native
Authority (NA) were all taken-over by the state and federal governments.
And similarly, haraji and jangali taxes were also abolished.
Constitutionally, local governments were recognised as a Third Tier of
government. Consequently, three Local Government Areas emerged in the
area of study - Zaria, Ikara, and Kaduna in the old Kaduna State. This
heralded renewed vision by both the military and civilian regimes on the
need of re-empowering and bringing government closer to people.
Generally, this study demonstrated that the district head system was not
traditional but colonial creation basically meant for maximum
exploitation. As presented, there was an attempt to clearly depart from
the usual concentration on colonial period and bigger polities to
district and village areas. Other important arms such as the police,
court and prison systems were also given the desired attention as
against typical focus on the central of administration.