The Impact Of Planning Administrative Structure Of Town Planning Authorities On Development Control In Enugu Metropolis

ABSTRACT

In Enugu Metropolis, development control functions have been unimaginably uncoordinated. People who should not have anything doing with Town Planning are from time to time found at developers’ sites behaving as if they are staff from Town Planning Authority office. This anormally has been arguably attributed to some defects in the administrative set-up of the development control machineries. The aim of this research is to assess the impact of the planning administrative structure of the development control machineries (planning authorities) in Enugu Metropolis on development conformities with a view to suggesting a more efficient and effective development control machineries in the study area. To direct the course of the research, three research questions, and one hypothesis were formulated. The data for the study were collected through the secondary and primary sources. The hypothesis was tested using secondary data. The statistical tools employed in the research were Chi-square, percentages, graphs and charts. This study revealed that due t the lapses in the planning administrative structure of the authorities, the rate of non-compliance to planning standards by the developers in the area is high. The result of the hypothesis further indicates that the perception of the planning officials on the influence of the planning administrative structure on the rate of non-compliance to planning standards are significantly related across the various planning authorities in the study area (X2 = 18.09, p.sig = 0.04, p < 0.05). The study identified eight factors that influence contravention rate in the area. These include corruption amongst officials, weak financial position of the planning authorities, ignorance of developers to planning standards, inadequate qualified planning personnel in the various planning authorities, persistent political interference and lack of political will by the planning officers, delay in obtaining planning permission, encouragement of touts by some political executives in the activities of town planning and finally the restrictive planning and building regulations. It is imperative to review the planning administrative structure that gave political chief executives the chance to mess up the planning

profession              in               the                authority              area               and               beyond.

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background of the Study

Administration of physical planning has been the responsibility of all the three tiers of government in Nigeria over the years. The extent of involvement of each level of government is dictated by the operations of the various town and country planning legislation as well as the nation’s constitution. The fact is that the operations of the legislation differed among the regions and between the state and the federal governments.

Towns like Port Harcourt, Aba, Minna, Jos and Kaduna and Enugu have experienced extensive physical and infrastructural developments. These developments have been under the application of early Town and Country Planning Ordinance that had national jurisdiction such as the township Ordinance No. 29 of 1917, the 1959 Town and Country Planning Ordinance, and the recent 1992 Urban and Regional Planning law. The applicability of these laws plus a reasonable increase in the number of Town Planning Authorities in the metropolis were all meant to re-enforce the control of physical development in the city. The 1992 Planning law further ensured that

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the administration of physical planning in the country is the responsibility of all the tiers of government. The law provides for the establishment of a National Urban and Regional Planning Commission, a State Urban and Regional Planning Board and a Local Planning Authority at the federal, state (and the federal capital Territory, Abuja) and local government levels respectively. These bodies and their levels are for the purpose of the initiation, preparation and implementation of the physical development plans (s.5) and overall administration of physical planning.

In Enugu metropolis, there are some established planning authorities which have their administrative structure. The authorities have a politically appointed/elected local government chairman as their overall chairman; other executive administrative members include the town planner, a town engineer, a health officer, etc. In recent times, the composition of this structure has had much influence in the implantation of planning standards and controls in Enugu metropolis. This is explainable where the views of the town planner in the authority are stampeded. Some authority executives have been accused of abetting impersonation – incidences of “political party boys”, who parade as workers of Town Planning Authority, visiting building sites of developers to

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extort money from unsuspecting developers; and usurpation of development control functions.

Thus, the administrative structure of the development control machineries in Enugu arguably has some influence on the implantation of development activities in the study area, and this forms the thrust of the study.

1.2       Statement of the Problem:

In Enugu Metropolis, Development Control functions have been unimaginably corrupted. People who should not have anything doing with Town Planning activities are from time to time found at developers’ sites behaving as if they are staff from Town Planning Authority office. This act has been arguably attributed to some weak administrative set-up of the development control machineries.

In Enugu, the problems of political thugs impersonating as town planning staff; constant delay in the processing of development permit; illegal attachment of structures to existing ones; and incidences of collapse building, have been linked to the administrative composition of the planning authorities. This situation creates the impression that the Town Planners in the area are not really in charge. Or, that the development control machinery is

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not effective enough. This linking has primarily been based on speculations and is devoid of any empirical backing. The problem of this study hinges on the desire to empirically understand the influence of the existing administrative structure of the planning authorities and how this presently affects the development control activities in Enugu Metropolis. Hence, the need for this investigation.

1.3       Goal and Objectives of the Study

1.3.1                  Goal

The goal of the study is to assess the impact of the planning administrative structure of the Town Planning Authorities in Enugu Metropolis with a view to recommending a structure that would ensure a more efficient and effective development control in the study area

1.3.2  The Objectives

The following underlisted objectives were aimed at achieving the above goal.

1. To examine the existing administrative structures of the various development control machineries in the study area

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2. To assess the factors that encourage non-compliance to planning standards in the study area.

3. To examine the influence of the existing administrative structures on the rate of non-compliance to planning standards in the study area

4. To determine appropriate measures that will enhance effective development control in the areas.

1.4       Research Questions:

1. What are the existing administrative structures of the various development control machineries in the study area?

2. What are the factors that encourage non-compliance to planning

standards in the study area?

1. 3. How do the existing administrative structures of the Town Planning Authorities influence the rate of non-compliance to planning standards in the study area?

4. What appropriate measures will enhance effective development control in the areas?.

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1.5 Statement of Hypothesis

The null hypothesis states that:

The perception of the planning officials on the influence of the planning administrative structure on the rate of non-compliance to planning standards does not significantly differ across the various planning authorities in the study area .

1.6    Scope of the Study

This study focused on the three developments control machineries in the study area, and these include the Enugu North, Enugu South and Enugu East town planning authorities. It also encompasses all development activities within the public and private layouts controlled by the three town planning agencies in the municipality. Additionally, the study also looked at the relationship between development control measures and the environment. The scope also included the examination of existing institutional framework for enforcement of development control measures in the study area.

1.7      Limitation of the Study

One of the limitations of the study is that of access to the required information to assist in carring out the study. In most cases, where sets of

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information available they are disjointed and improperly kept. For this reason the researcher has to spare the time to collate and classify the information into the required form. Another constraint is the uncooperative attitude of development controls officials and respondents who do not easily provide available information related to development control issues in the study area.

1.8    Significance of the Study:

The result of this research will provide invaluable tools for tackling the present observable development control malaise not only of the studied planning authorities but also the entire urban authority and beyond. The findings will update the existing wealth of knowledge on development control problems as they pertain to the influence of politics on the effectiveness or otherwise of the machinery of control and will also pin down the major cause of the said perceived weakness.

In addition, the parent ministry in charge of town planning matters in the state will be armed with the right information with which to take appropriate action to protect town planning authorities against evil forces in the structure of the authority that inflict weakness on the Authority.