1.1 Introduction
In this chapter the researcher is going to look into the due process and its objectives on actualization of government objectives. Due process is best defined in one word “Fairness” because it varies from one country to another, in Nigerian history, its constitution, statute and case law provided by Federal, state and local government. These standards are known as due process. When a person is treated unfair by the government, including the court, he is said to have been deprived or denied due process, The idea that laws and legal process must be fair, the constitution guarantees that the government cannot take away a person without due process of law, courts have issued numerous rulings about what this means in particular cases.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
The background of this study work covers Federal polytechnic Nekede Owerri in Imo state. Federal polytechnic Nekede college was initially established as college of technology Owerri by edict No 16 in 1978 as the college of Technology Owerri by Imo state government. The school opened for classes on 15th December, 1978 at a temporary site in the premises of government trade center along Egbu road Owerri with initial of 275 students.
In the year 1980, the college then was moved to the permanent site in Nekede Owerri. The name of the college was later changed to polytechnic Nekede Owerri in 1987 by the edit of 1987. it was further renamed from Polytechnic Nekede Owerri to Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri during the regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida as Nigerian head of state.
The motto of the school is knowledge for skill for service which has been principle of the polytechnic which the polytechnic has demonstrated by the quality of graduated and professions over the years.
The school started with nine (9) programmes. In three schools all the programmes commenced at the National Diploma Level. Today, there are five)5) schools involved in Federal polytechnic Nekede OWerri which are schools of business and management technology, school of engineering, school of environmental, school of industrial and applied sciences, and school of humanities and social science.
In Federal polytechnic Nekede Owerri, there are 25 programmes distributed in five schools, at National and Higher Diploma level.
In addition, Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri offers regular National Diploma and Higher Diploma programmes. The polytechnic also offer evening programme courses at National and Higher National Diploma level and also weekend programme courses in Higher Diploma and National Diploma levels.
These programmes offered workers the opportunity of acquiring tertiary education while still retaining their jobs.
Today Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri has Dr. Mrs. Cellestina Uchechi Njoku as the first female rector and the present day rector of federal polytechnic Nekede Owerri.
Therefore, in Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri, Imo State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Due Process and Its Effect on Actualization of Government Objectives in Nigeria.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Investigation reveals the problems of the existing research work which are stated as follows;
- Due process for a waste of time in the decision making process of important urgent matters.
- Due process has been used as a delay tactics by corrupt leaders.
- Due process in government ministries brings about waste of materials and the time resources necessary for other government.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to investigate the Due Process and Its Effect on Actualization of Government Objectives in Nigeria using Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri, Imo State as a Case Study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To know the need following due process in the matters that concerns or requires urgency of student welfare.
- To establish the relevance of due process in saving government resources otherwise that would have been waste when due process is not followed to know the time frame useful to pass a bill under process.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- What is due?
- What are the effects of due process?
- Can due process be a setback to government owned enterprise and in actualizing its objectives?
- What are the objectives of due process in government policy making?
- What are procedures in actualizing government plans and objectives?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
H0: Due Process does not have an Effect on Actualization of Government Objectives in Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri.
H1: Due Process have an Effect on Actualization of Government Objectives in Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri.
1.7 Significance of Study
This study will benefit the following groups after it has been completed.
Federal polytechnic Nekede Owerri will be in a proper vintage to redress and reshuffle their modus operandi with respect to contract awards and decisions making in order to save time and attend to other urgent needs.
The student researcher, the researcher will be better and properly informed on the meaning and process of due process in the Nigeria policy.
Other future researchers: They will find the material useful in developing future work.
1.8 Scope Of The Study
The scope is on due process and its implementation or effects on actualization of government objectives. It loves geographical area of Owerri in particular Federal polytechnic Owerri, its time frame is the period between 2000 and 2010.
1.9 Limitation of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Definition Of Terms
Due Process: Due process implies that government activities and business can be carried out openly, economically and transparently without favoritism and corruption.
The essence of this is to ensure that rules and procedures from procurement are made in such a way as to be implementable and enforceable. It is hoped that due process should put an end to the business and usual syndrome in Nigeria.
Problem: From the advance Oxford Learners dictionary, problem is used to be something that is difficult to deal with or understand.
Politics: Politics is all human activities that are involved in getting and using power in public life and bring also decision that influence other in any place.
Public Policy: Public policy is referred to those definite actions of government that goes towards the fulfillment of the obligation of the study.
