IMPLICATIONS OF BOKO HARAM INSURGENCE ON COMMUNITY ACCESSIBILITY AND LINKAGE SYSTEM IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION IN MADAGALI AND MICHIKA LGA, ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

Madagali and Michika LGAs were captured by Boko Haram insurgents in 2014 and up till 2021
when this research was conducted, accessibility to the communities in the two LGAs years after
the recapture of Madagali LGA from the insurgents was still difficult. Insecurity of lives forced
the LG administrators to relocate to the State headquarters which created a wide gap between the
people and the government, hence different means of linkage were used to link the people and the
government and vice versa. The implications of Boko Haram insurgence on accessibility to the
numerous communities and linkage system (top-down and bottom-up as well the contents of the
linkages) in LG administration in the two LGAs has been carried out in this study. Data collected
for the study include accessibility of the communities, information on political and administrative
structure of the LGA and the structure of the linkage system between the communities and the LG
council. These were obtained through interview schedule, personal observation, Focus Group
Discussions and government documents. The data for this study were mainly obtained from the
LGA Chairmen, Councilors, District Heads, Village/Ward Heads and Party Chairmen of the two
major political parties at LGA and ward levels. The quantitative aspect of the study comprises
administering a structured interview schedule to the sampled stakeholders. The study revealed
that accessibility of communities that were not along the main Michika-Madagali Road were still
inaccessible years after the recapture of Madagali LGA from the insurgents. The situation of
Michika LGA was far better because all the communities in the LGA were accessible including
their tourists center in the remote parts of the LGA. In the two LGAs overall low top-down and
bottom-up linkages in communications (phone calls and text messages) and poor visitation
between LG administrators and ward heads were recorded. The attributed factors were mainly
based on relocation of their LG officers to Yola, insecurity on the roads, inaccessibility and lack
of trust. Security issue was noted to be the main contents of the linkages in the LGAs. It was
recommended that provision of more security personnel and rehabilitation and reconstruction of
the long-abandoned roads especially in Madagali LGA and encouragement of the LG
administrators to return home.