CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background to the Study

According to carter and broom (2004, p.12) public relations is the management function that identifies, establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its publics upon whom its success depends. It’s important to know that life and success of any organization can only be ensured and sustained through effective mobilization of both the internal and external publics of the organization. This therefore means that an organization’s public needs to be properly mobilized in order to create the awareness basis for their appreciation and participation in its policy- decisions and programmed hence Local Government as a third tier system of government in Nigerian was established to bring government closer to the people. Local Government, whether, representative or not, it is a means of coordinating and managing functions at local level. It is a means of involving the local citizenry in determining needs, assigning priorities, mustering local resources, this providing the people with a sense of identification and participation.

According to Asemah, E. cited by Ajala (2018) stated that “hitherto not much has been done in the area of identification and participation which will facilitate and install an effective local government administration”. It is against this background that this researcher has decided to investigate why some local government councils cannot or have not been able to achieve much in area of identification and participation with their various publics. Therefore, this project work is going to focus on how Public Relations can enable Local Government perform creditably.

For better understanding of the issue, the researcher will streamline Public Relations by carefully analyzing works of Public Relations in improving the image and goodwill of local government council of Ughelli North.

It is enough to say that public relations are a composite of relationships of both personal and institutional. It is both the reflection and substance of public opinion. It includes all the contact within and extending outside an agency. Personal or impersonal, direct or indirect, specific or general. The handshake of the Chairman/ administrator, the voice of the telephone operator, the conduct of the security officer, the job done by the street sweeper -  all establish relationships, which contribute positively or negatively to the sum total of public opinion about a Local government. This explains that all the local government employees are or must be involved in fostering of the good image and mutual relationship with its publics.

`Wherever, humankind is, public relations exist, as a matter of fact, irrespective of what is done or not and regardless of quality, infact , public relations is pervasive. In this regard, local government administration is not an exception. Local government administration cannot be a reality without the joint effort between the local government council and the community in which it functions.

Akinyele A. (2009, p. 9) opines that: Good image and good human relations complement each other. It is not possible therefore, to talk of fostering good image without fostering good behavior and understanding between the staff of the local government council, its community and its publics. These could be achieved if the management of local government employs the principle of modern public relations.