Local Government Administration and Community Participation in Cameroon: A Case Study of Buea Municipality

Authors

  • Dr. Ebob Adeline Etaka Assistant Lecturer, University of Buea

Abstract

This study seeks to address three-fold issues, which are: To evaluate how community participation in local government administration encourages local democracy;  To investigate how community participation in local government administration yields strong mechanisms of accountability and To examine the challenges faced by community participation in local government administration in Buea Municipality. This study has made a positive contribution to knowledge by combining the local government administration and community participation in Buea Municipality. The research made used of the Democratic-Participatory Theory and brought out the relevance of the theory to this study. Through the various instruments used, such as: closed-ended and open-ended questions, interview and observations, it has been identified that Community Participation in local government administration do encourage local government, local accountability and do face enormous challenges. This was achieved with the aid of 82 respondents who answered the questionnaires from the Buea Community. Results from the field work were analysed quantitatively. Quantitatively, the researcher employed the chi-square method to test the three hypotheses of the study. With a general agreement rate of 68% and calculated X2 (112.1), greater than the table value (22.13) at 0.05, the first research alternate hypothesis (H1) has been accepted which stipulates that community participation in local government administration do encourage local democracy in Buea Municipality. Moreover, with the general disagreement rate of 76% and calculated X2 (27.48), greater than the table value (16.57) at 0.05, the second research alternate hypothesis (H2) has been accepted which means that community participation in local government administration yields strong mechanisms of accountability in Buea Municipality. Finally, with the general agreement rate of 72.4% and with calculated X2 (38.72), greater than the table value ( 18.15) at 0.05 level of significance, the third research alternate hypothesis (H3) has been accepted which stipulates that there are challenges faced by community participation in local government administration in Buea Municipality. The researcher rounded up the study with the following recommendations. Organisation of sensitization campaigns, creation of structure for Community Participation, enforcement of the laws and the practice of transparency in local government administration.

References

BOOKS

Anyanwu, C. N. (1992). Community Development. The Nigerian Perspective, Ibadan: Gabesther Educational Publishers.

Ayichi, D. (1995). “ Agricultural Transfer for Sustainable Rural Development in Nigeria” in Ebdon, C. U. Okoye and Ayichi editions. Rural Development in Nigeria: Concepts, Processes and Prospects: Enugu Auto Century Publishing Company.

Amucheazi, E. (1999). Local Government Reforms and Mobilization for Rural Development, Enugu. Fourth Dimension Publisher.

Angahar, A. P. (2013). The Impact of Existing Inter-Governmental Financial Relations on Effective Service Delivery at the Grassroots in Nigeria, Enugu: Fourth Dimension Publisher.

Appadorai A. (1975). The Substance of Politics, New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Ayika, E. (2013). Process of Governance. Enugu: Immaculate Publications Ltd.

Bahl, W. Roy and Linn, F. Johannes (1992). Urban Public Finance in Developing Countries. Washington DC: The World Bank.

Barbone and Hicks (1995). Local Self-Government in Central and Eastern Europe. Washington DC: World Bank.

Bailey, Stephen. (1999) Local Government Economics: Theory, Policy, and Practice. Basingstoke, U.K.: Macmillan

Barbone and Hicks (1995) Local Self-Government in Central and Eastern Europe. Washington DC: World Bank

Barnett, Minis and Van Sant (1997) Conceptualizing Local Government: Local Perceptions on Devolution and Participation in Zimbabwe. http://www.academia.edu/3536324/Conceptualising_Local_Government_Local_Perceptions_on_Devolution_and_Participation_in_Zimbabwe.

Caufield, Janice (2003) Local Governance Reform in Global Perspective. Opladen: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden.

Caulfield, Janice and Larsen, O. Helge (2002) Local Government at the Millennium. Opladen: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden

Chiweza, A. Lorraine (2010) Public-Sector Reforms and Decentralization of Public Services: Lessons from Malawi (1994-2006)” Reforming the Malawian Public Sector: Retrospective and Prospectives. Dakar: CODESRIA.

Cuomo, M. Andrew and Perales, A. Cesar (2011). Local Government Handbook. New York: Department of State.

Cuoso, Leonardo (1946). Making democracy work: Civic traditions in modem Italy. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

Dahl, R. (1961).Who governs? Democracy and power in an American city. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Devas, Nick (2008). Financing Local Government. London: Commonwealth Secretariat.

Dommel, Daniel (1991). Face à la corruption. Paris : Karthala.

Easton, David (1953). The Political System: An Inquiry into the State of Political Science. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Ebel, D. Robert and Serdar Yilmaz1 (2002). On The Measurement and Impact Of Fiscal decentralization. Washington DC: World Bank.

Ewumbue-Monono, Churchill (2001. Indigenous Minorities and the Future of Good Governance in Cameroon: An Inquiry into the Politics of Local Governance in the Local Councils of Fako Division 1866-2001.Buea: CEREDDA Publication.

Earl Babbie and J. Mouton, (2002). The Practice of Social Research. Cape Town: Oxford University Press.

Heymans, C. & Totemeyer G. (1988). Government by the people? Politics of local government in South Africa. Kenwyn: Juta & Co. Ltd.

Hicks, K. Ursula (1961). Local Government and Finance in Developing Countries of the Commonwealth. London: Clarendon Press.

Holm, J.D. (1971). Dimension of mass politics. Boulder: West view Press.

Institute for International Cooperation (2008). Decentralized Service Delivery in East Africa: A Comparative Study of Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. Tokyo: Japan International Cooperation Agency.

John, Peter (2001). Local Governance in Western Europe. London: Sage Publications.

Kaul, Mohan (1987). Searching for a Paddle: Trends in IT Applications in Asian Government Systems. Kuala Lumpur: Asian and Pacific Development Centre.

Kjellberg, F. (1988). Local government and the welfare state: reorganization in Scandinavia. in B. Dente and F. Kjellberg The dynamics of institutional change: local government reorganization in western democracies. London: Sage.

Kuate, Jean-Pierre (2013). Les Collectivité Territoriales Décentralisées Au Cameroun: Recueil de Textes. 4iem Edition. Douala : MACACOS Press.

Kuate, Jean-Pierre (2013). The Municipal Council in Cameroon: Functioning and Responsibilities. Douala: MACACOS Press.

Lavery, Kevin (1999). Smart Contracting for Local Government Services: Processes and Experiences. London: Praeger.

Nkantini, N. (2005). Glimpses of Research ( Guidelines on the Writing of Research Proposals, Reports, Essays, Thesis and Dissertations). Polokwane, South Africa: JP Publishers.

University Press.

Nkantini, N. (2005). Glimpses of Research ( Guidelines on the Writing of Research Proposals, Reports, Essays, Thesis and Dissertations). Polokwane, South Africa: JP Publishers

Osuji, E. E. (1991). The Nature of the Community. Ibadan : Adult Education Department, University of Ibadan.

Osuji, E. E. (1992). Community Participation: Proceeding of UNICEF Sponsored Workshop.Consultancy Service Unit: University of Ibadan.

Osuji, E. E. (2001). Community Analysis and System Approaches (Unpublished Mimeograph). Department of Adult Education University of Ibadan.

JOURNALS, NEWSPAPERS AND MAGASINS

Awortwi, N. (2016). “ An Unbreakable Path, A Comparative Study of Decentralization and Local Government In Ghana and Uganda,” International Review of Administration Sciences, 77(2), pp. 347-377.

Agrawal, L. A. and Robot, J. (1999). “ Accountability in Decentralization: A Framework with South Asian and West African Case” The Journal of Developing Areas, 33(4), pp. 473-502.

Antwi-Boasiako, K. B. (2010). “ Public Administration: Local Government and Decentralization in Ghana,” Journal of African Studies Development, 2(7), pp. 166-175.

Arando, S. Gago, M., Frederich, F. and Ugarte, L. (2012). “ Capital Social Cooperativism,” Project (2), pp. 41-54.

Awortwi, N. (2016). “ An Unbreakable Path, A Comparative Study of Decentralization and Local Government In Ghana and Uganda,” International Review of Administration Sciences, 77(2), pp. 347-377.

Nkrumah, S. (2004). “ Decentralization for Good Governance and Development. The Ghanaian Experience.” Regional Development Dialogue, 21(1), pp. 53-67.

Lele, U. and Adu, N. K. (1991). “ Integrated Strategic Approach for Poverty Alleviation.” A Paramount Priority for African Development Review 3(1), 1-29.

Machooka, S. M. (1984). “ People Participation in Integrate Rural Development,” In A. C. Mardjungned Seminar Report Series Vol. 1, No. 2 Douala Pan African Institute For Development, pp. 54-73

Saz-Gil, Breto, L., and Diaz-Foncea, M. (2021). “ Cooperatives and Social Capital”: A Narrative Literature Review and Directions for Future Research. Sustainability Studies 13(2), pp. 534.

Downloads

Published

2025-06-04

How to Cite

Etaka , D. E. A. (2025). Local Government Administration and Community Participation in Cameroon: A Case Study of Buea Municipality. American Journal of Political Science and Leadership Studies, 2(5), 50–94. Retrieved from https://semantjournals.org/index.php/AJPSLS/article/view/1872