THE EFFECT OF COMMITTEE AND GROUP MEETING IN ENHANCING DECISIONMAKING IN PUBLIC SECTOR A CASE STUDY OF ENUGU STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

ABSTRACT

This research is concerned with inquiring into the use of committees and group meetings in enhancing decision making in the Enugu State House of Assembly. As a means of achieving desired objectives. The organization of committee and group meetings in the Enugu State House of Assembly. The effect of committee and group meetings in decision making in the public sector. To find out causes of delays in decision making. To proffer solutions to the problems of delays in decision making in Enugu State House of Assembly. Four research questions were formulated.

The major instrument used in the data collection is questionnaire. All the data collected were analysed by simple percentages. Among the major findings of the study after data analyses include, that there is inadequate infrastructure which militates against committee and group meetings, it also revealed on lack of attendance to the sessions of committees and group meetings which militates against committee session.

Based on these findings, the following recommendations were made, it called on the government of Enugu State to erect befitting edifice in the House of Assembly, also, the accountant general should making timely payment of allowances and other fringe benefits to those who serve in committees and group meetings. In addition to the poled knowledge of the members, external consultants could periodically come to help those who serve in committees and group meetings, and the proceeding of the group enable it generate ideas from the public. The replication of the study should also be necessary in other states in order to create uniformity and standards of operation.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR THE STUDY

Location of Enugu State. Enugu state is one of the youngest states carved out of old Anambra state in August 27th, 1991. It has its capital at Enugu which was formally known as Anambra North, by the regime of General Ibrahim Babagida. The word Enugu means the top of the hill. Situated in inland South eastern Nigeria, Enugu state covers 7,161 square kilometers.

It is also one of the present thirty six states of the federation, that share boundaries with Abia state and Imo state to the South, Ebonyi state to the East, Benue state to the Northeast, Kogi state to the northwest and Anambra state to the west. Enugu and Nsukka are its major towns.

Enugu state was the head quarters of the former central state and Eastern Nigeria and is made up of 17 local government area council including Aninri, Awgu, Enugu east, Enugu North, Enugu South, Ezeagu, Igboetiti, Igbo Eze North, Igbo Eze South, Nsukka, Nkanu East, Nkanu West, OjiRiver, Isiuzo, Udenu, Uzouwani and Udi local government.

Administrative structure: At the heem of affairs in the state is the Executive Governor, assisted by the Deputy Governor. Other components of the state are the commissioners and the secretary to the state government. The Governor is also assisted by a number of special Advisers and special Assistants, the state legislature the law making body, headed by the speaker. He is assisted by the clerk if the House in the general administration of the Assembly. The seventeen local government areas are also headed by an Executive Chairman, assisted by a Deputy chairman and several supervisory councilors.

The state have a brief spell of house of assembly business and within this period, the speaker of the House of assembly used profusely the committee and group meetings in dealing with so many delicate and complex problems in the house. Most often some matters in the House require expertise and specialist knowledge, such matters are better handled by selective committees to handle and report to the open House made up of few professionals and very many generalists.

Mckenna and Fleming 1977:12 in the Business Dictionary. Defined committee as: A group of individuals which is formed to consider and report on various matters which have been referred to them.

At this juncture, it will be necessary to explain in a compendium the two major terms of the topic for better understanding. A committee can be for special purpose at a time. But the Important Issue is that it is responsible to the body which forms it and in fact reports to it at the end of the assignment. While there is a specific connotation on the formation of committee towards the performance of an identified and specific task, a meeting according to Shaw et al 1965:21 is:

An assembly of persons, such an assembly may arise in circumstances infinitely diverse in their character and combination.

From this definition, a group meeting is just a meeting of a group of people with common objective and interest, it may be a committee and it is through such meetings/committee that decisions can be reached as its varied functions.

Since the legislative time is limited and matters to be dealt with most of the time, are either technical or highly specialized, the need to form committee to solve problems arises.

This is exactly the case in the Enugu state House of Assembly. Also, while a body containing many members is suitable for discussing principles, it is Inappropriate for the examination of details. The usual course is to form a committee of a few members in the House of assembly which can discuss the details of proposals and report back to the fever body of the House with recommendation.

1.2STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This research tends to find the various factors which lead to ineffective use of committee and group meetings machinery towards the attainment of goals and objectives of the state Assembly.

The researcher intends to find answers to the following problems.

Whether committee meetings are held.

How public hearing are held.

How often each is held

Decisions during such meetings, are they documented.

If yes, are they reported out during plenary session.

1.3OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

Committee and group meetings have been with use for many decades Arriving at effective decisions by the use of committee and group meetings conceptualized variously by different groups of Individuals.

System may vary on the use of committee and group meetings but success or failure eventually will depend on organizational or political strategy of the leaders of the state. T

Therefore, the objectives of this study is find out.

1.The organization of committee and group meetings in the Enugu state House of Assembly.

2.The effect of committee and group meetings in decision making in the public sector.

3.To find out causes of delays in Decisionmaking.

4.To proffer solutions to the problems of delays in Decisions making in Enugu state House of Assembly.