THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION PROCESSES IN THE MAANGEMENT OF GOVERNMENT PARASTATALS

(A CASE STUDY OF NEPA, ENGU)

ABSTRACT

          The main focus of this project as to explore the role of communication processes in the management of government parastatals with NEPA, Enugu District as the case study.

          To guide the study, four research questions were formulated. A review of literature was evolved to broaden the research’s knowledge on what others have already done in the area for a realistic conclusion for the study. A structural questionnaire was developed and administered personally by the research to 207 staff on NEPA (45 senior and 59 junior) to guard against any mortality of the questionnaires.

          A like type, four point scale were used in determining responses. (2.50 and above for positive and 2.49 and below for negative.

          Based on the responses, some of the major findings include inadequacy of resource, problem of achieving the stated objectives, clear communication gap with it’s effects and lack of concern to staff welfare.

          As a result of the findings, some major recommendations were made as follows:

          Priority should be given to human resources in the NEPA for effectiveness as information form major strategy for their work, participatory decision making process to ensure that the set objectives are known to all, there should be a serious motivation to staff to en sure involvement and and commitment on the job by all.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1            BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Electricity occupies a strategic position in the social and industrial development of any country and indeed any country in the industrial development of any country and indeed any country in the industrial age (Tnoyoi 1983). He further affirmed that without electricity, economic and industrial activities may be paralyzed. The National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) is a merger of Electricity Corporation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Dams Authority assigned with the responsibility of Nigeria.

NEPA therefore constitutes a public owned financed and managed electricity institution for the purpose of developing the vast Nigeria primary electricity resources as well as supplying them effectively to consumers.

The demand for electricity supply is rated high than the supply provided by NEPA. This has led to the irregular supply of electricity provided by the NEPA in Nigeria especially at Enugu district. The significance of electricity is better appreciated when one realize that all manufacturing process on whether scale requires electric power, whether hydro, thermal or nuclear electric carrel. In fact, it can be stated that in most cases, other sectors of the rely on the availability of electricity for its existence and survival. NEPA was therefore established to operate with a focus on special economic and political objectives, which are expected to be met simultaneously. A critical examination of those objectives shows that there are conflicts examination of those that shows that there are conflicts in the simultaneous fulfillment, for example, resources mobilization and revenue generation objectives are pure economic goals, a purely social goals. The combination and pursuance of these goals with spurious harmonization and sometimes shifting ministerial comfort especially on pricing investment and administrative decision create serious management, operation organizational problems.

These problems have reflected in the poor financial returns to investment in NEPA and also poor quality of institutional performance in terms of electricity supply. Interruption at alarming frequencies. Overhead distribution network system, irregular meter reading and billing, illegal connection excessive production cost, irregular equipment servicing and maintenance.

Dike (1988) affirmed that communication is a study of the way in which the exchange of message occurs, the purpose of such message attains its objectives. I n that the basis of communication is for the message sender to be decoded by the received through a fed back.