IMPACT OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION (CASE STUDY OF JERE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, BORNO STATE)

This study assesses the impact of Transparency and Accountability in Local Government Administration in Jere local Government of Borno State. The study employed the use of primary and secondary sources, the instrument used was a well designed structured questionnaire, the questions were mainly close ended with only few open ended questions. Base on the outcomes of my data analysis, it shows that the relationship between ' Jere 'local government and other levels of government is that of subordinate rather than coordinate relationship as contain in Nigerian constitution. The fundamental reasons for this relationship is that, Jere local government council source of internal revenue is so meager, so it has to depend on the other tiers of government. The study also revealed that Jere local government Transparency is undermined by the existence of state-local government joint account where the state governments excessively exercise financial control on the local council (Jere). The study indicates that all the respondents -were unanimously against the existence of this joint account. Based on the study some recommendations 'were made such that: the federal government should endeavor to create the various means of strengthening the administrative capacities of the local government that will accommodate local Transparency, Local Government administration in Jere must be open to scrutiny as found with the state and federal tiers of government. Therefore, there is need for civil society to constantly demand transparency and accountability from local council officials, Local government should expand the scope for internally generated revenue to, enhance its transparency and independence, since financial inadequacy of Jere local government attracts state and federal government interferences, also we suggest that the budgets of the local council (Jere) should be approved by the council and not the state agency such budget should be adequately scrutinized by the various committees of the local Transparency as it affects their areas of jurisdiction before final approval of the council. This informed by the fact that there are financial memoranda and instructions that guide local authorities in their fiscal activities.