Challenges Faced in Empowering Citizens of Mezam Division through Micro Projects: The Selected Opinion of Citizens

Abstract

The study is based on the challenges faced in empowering citizens in Mezam Division through micro projects: the selected opinion of citizens. The ultimate goal of empowerment is to ensure that citizens fully participate in political decision-making processes that concern their future with a view to achieving the gains and control over resources, thereby becoming agents of their own development. The multiplier effect is that it leads to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women and develop a global partnership for development (MDGs 1, 2, 3 and 8 respectively). This has been facilitated with the use of micro grants by the Member of Parliament in Mezam Centre. The study achieves this by examining some perceptions of citizens on the challenges faced in the management of micro grants in Mezam Centre. The research instruments are a set of questionnaires administrated to the beneficiaries of micro grants and structured interviews to the Member of Parliament in Mezam Centre. The sampling methods included the random and stratified random sampling methods. The tools of analysis included frequency distribution tables, graph, chi square and thematic methods. The study hypothesis was tested and the major findings are that, though citizens are empowered through micro projects, there are some challenges in the operations. The researcher suggested some positive measures and strategies that will meticulously articulate and enhance the efficacy of empowering the citizens such as the continual usage of micro grants committee in order to improve on the management of micro projects. Hence the government should establish and reinforced mechanisms such as auditing unit that will help to reduce the rate of embezzlement of parliamentary micro grants by Members of Parliament and micro grants committees.