THE IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT REGULATOR AGENCIES OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

1.0: INTRODUCTION

There is no gain saying the fact that government regulatory agency are fundamental to the sub-stratum of national development.

        The historical antecedent of the country Nigeria has already shown that the functionality of the government of the day is manifested via the activities of its agencies. In as much as government cannot operate in isolation.  Therefore, government agency is an engine and bedrock for national development.

        According to merrian websters collegiate dictionary, government agency is an establishment engaged in doing business for another or an administrative division of government.

        Government agency equally entails any executive department, commission, independent establishment and corporation, wholly or partly owned by the government.  Be that as it may, in order to conduct the business of government effective, the tasks of government are broken down into different parts and tasks assigned to a ministry will then put up institution or corporation or boards that will be assigned particular functions geared towards the achievement of the goals of the ministry.

        These ministries, departments or bureaus and their derivative agencies will then be the instruments for the provision of the major functions of government which include maintenance of law and order, maintain of territorial integrity of the country.

        Provision of basic infrastructure, provision of certain goals and services which private organization will not be able to provide. In all intents and purposes government agencies have recorded break through in all sectors of the economy.   Supplying in those areas where government is having some lapses.  National drugs law enforcement agency as one of the agencies of government have refurbished our battered image vis-à-vis the menace of putting a stop to drug and drug addiction in Nigeria has been eliminated.

        They have really served as veritable impire in the or against the activities, processing, sale, trafficking and use of hard drugs in the country.

        However, their activities towards attaining national development have been bedeviled with so many challenges which this master pieces hope to forestall via it’s recommendations.

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The National Drug law Enforcement Agency is Nigeria’s sole body that regulates and eliminates the growing, processing, manufacturing, selling, exporting, and trafficking of hard drugs.

        It is a parastatal of the federal ministry of health. NDLEA was established via decree 48 of 1989 and the decree prescribed stiffer penalties for convicted offenders.  Section 11(2a) of the decree provides a jail term of not less than 15years for any person who conspires with, AIDS, Abets, counsels or attempts to council” Any of these offences through policing of drugs did not commence until 1990 although Babangida had abolished the death penalty for  convicted drug dealers.  By the end of the decade there were public calls to restore it.

        Sticker security measures were introduced to Lagos international airport in 1989 and a plan was instituted in August 1989 to control black market activities.

        The NDLEA maintains a presence at international airport, making regular seizure of hard drug from individual couriers and conducts raids at seaports and border checkpoints.  Efforts to eradicate cannabis cultivation focused and destruction is isolation plantings, the NDLEA has attempted to shift the focus of operations from the arrest of the couriers to the prosecution of controlling members of narcotics and money laundering organizations.

        Despite counters narcotic effort by the NDLEA, increasingly large quantities of drug pour through Nigeria’s land and sea boarders. Nigeria’s extensive land boarders are poorly patrolled and relevant law enforcement agencies are rife with corruption.

        To help pilot the activities, it was agreed that fearless leadership was not to compromised Mr. Fidelis Oyachilome, then a police commissioner and former governor of Rivers state was assigned the privilege responsibility of becoming the agency’s first chairman.  Although NDELA efforts have created at least some risk that couriers may be caught at the air port traffickers continue to use air cargo and express mail services, Nigeria trafficking networks rely increasingly on bulk shipments by land and sea smuggle drugs into and out of country.

        In common parlance, the agency was saddled with the responsibilities of controlling interdicting and intercepting the trafficking peddling and usage of hard drugs in and out the country. It also educates the public on the effect of hard drugs on the nation and on the people.

1.2    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Government regulatory agencies have over the years been identified as necessary ingredients for national developments.  The regulatory, agencies, national drug law enforcement agency was established to eradicate drug trafficking in order to safeguard public health by ensuring eradication of drug addition.

        However, on the course of discharging all these important function, a harmful of problems have been encountered ranging from unexpected drug traffickers activities, in security of staff, lack of co-operation from a sister agency among others.

        These problems have actually hindered the progress of the regularity agencies from operating as a veritable instrument for national development.  This as a matter of fact informs the focus of this researcher and also intends to establish empirical evidence and proffer solutions to the problems, using national drug law enforcement agency.

1.3    PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This study is geared towards identifying the activities and workings of NDLEA as a government regulatory agency in attempt to foster socio-economic development.

        Moreso, the study looks into the impacts or contributions the agency has made on the economy and the generality of the public.

        The research work however, hope to Marshal out staccato of problem / challenges faced by this Regulatory Agency (NDLEA) on the course of discharging their core task of eradicating drug trafficking and to safeguarding the national health.

        Finally, the study is equally aimed at exposing litany of opportunities and strategies to be adopted by government regulatory agencies to enable the generality of the public live in drug free country and in attain national development.

1.4    RESEARCH QUESTION

1.     What projects has NDLEA undertaken in their efforts to encourage sustainable development of nation?

2.     To what extent does administrative and environmental factors militated against the agency in the provision of services to the people?

3.    To what extent does NDLEA impacted on the lives of the people of Nigeria?

1.5    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The researcher has also made in calculable attempt to reveal the bottlenecks that hinder government  agencies from attaining their policy objectives of national development it has equally educated the generality of the pubic on the relevance of government agency in fostering economic growth and development, it is intended and unintended consequences.

        Moreso, it has equally showed that government agency is a veritable tool to improving efficiency in public services.

        However, the researcher work has laid a foundation for further research in NDLEA.

        The scholar are not left behind towards exploring the benefits of these research findings.  Consequently, it will service a reference material to students who may want to research on the topic in our great institution, institution of management and technology, Enugu and rest of the students at the diasporas.

        To the students of public administration who may work in different ministries and parastatals, this may serve as a eye opener to them thereby using their agencies to beef up the lapses or disfunctions of their ministries.   

        Moreso, the study would equally add to the existing knowledge on government agency and its’ relevance to national building.  Finally, the study will show case how these agencies as a machinery of government helped in ensuring conveniences in decision making and implementation and sub subsequently how government partners these agencies together with the millennium development goes (MAGS). In attaining national development and welfarism of the citizenry.

1.6    SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study was restricted to the relevance and roles of government agency as a veritable tool for National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).  The target population for the study involved workers in some selected sections and departments of the agency under study.

        A set of questionnaires were administered to the respondents and the response elicited with strict confidence using descriptive analysis. 

        However, in conducting this research work the researcher made NDLEA his choice of study.

1.8    DEFINITION OF TERMS

Some of the terms used in the researcher work which may not be easily understood by the reader are here under made explicit according to their contextual meaning.

1.           Political Actors: These are policy makers who are found in governmental positions e.g governors, presidents etc.

2.           Substratum: It entails that which is fundamental to foundation of an exercise of agreements.

3.           Organogram: It is organizational charts and structures.

4.           MDGS:  Millennium Development Goals: Eight points agenda put together by 149 world leaders to stem the problem of poverty and hunger among other things.

5.           Bureaucratic Resistance:  This is unnecessary cog or blockage constitutes by some government officials to avoid losing their political influence and economic power.

6.           Inter-Agency Co-operation:  It is a net work of relationship that exists among the agencies of government aimed at achieving a target objective and for administrative convenience

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