The issue of corruption has remained ever present and continue to grow deep into the vitals of the Nigerian society, most especially as corruption has been ingrained into the fabrics of the Nigerian society cannot be solved overnight because the leaders as well as the followers are corrupt. In light of the above and in recognition of the damage done by the scourge, this work aims at instituting a critical enquiry into the issue of corruption and the nature of leadership in OJI- RIVER local Government. This research is divided into five chapters, which will be examined one after the other. Chapter one deals with the introduction of the study. Chapter two literatures Review and perception of eminent scholars and meaningful thinkers. Chapter three treated historical background of the case study Oji- River local Government methodology and data analysis of data analysis of data interpretation of result.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
For every local government to be active every stated goals and objective by ensuring the safety and provision of basic amenities to the community, there must be the existence of good leader and corruption should be eschewed.
Leadership is a process where one person extents social influence over the members of the group and a good leader is one who is capable of persuading others to move enthusiastically towards the achievement of group goals.
Furthermore, leadership and corruption has almost all our local government and the only way to stop this is for our leaders to abstain them selves from corruption practices or anything that will jeopardize their job.
In Oji River, their leadership rest on the arms of the local government chairman and councilors from different wards that make up the local government. However, local government is the last tier of the government that is nearest to the people. It is the level of government that is responsible for the local administration. In this case of Oji River local government, this local government was created in the year 1976 by the federal military government of Nigeria as local governments under old Anambra State will successive military change of power and creation of state, Oji- River became a local government under Enugu State. The communities that make up the local government Area as follows.

1. Achi
2. Inyi
3. Ugwuoba
4. Akpugeze
5. Nachi
6. Awlaw

The leadership of Oji-River local government area rest on the arm of the local government chairman and host of councilors representing different words and communities of the local government.
In Nigeria, local government system has been engulfed in corruption. Everybody seems not to be left behind in this dastardly act. According to oxford Advanced learners Dictionary of current English corruption means to decay, to be deplete, rot to waste away and to lose dignity and integrity it is a denial of justices, fairness and goodwill. As a concept that negates all virtues and principle of life, it stresses more on deprivation of the right of the citizen hence anti-developmental human society. According to Clark (1995:142), corruption is defined as inducement of means of improper consideration to commit a violation of duty, an inducement of cash or kind to secure service or goods from public officials or their agent through illegitimate or unlawful or irregular means? As a matter of fact, a corruption generally includes the misuse of authority as a result of concessarity be monetary.
Local government which is the government at grassroots level is designed and established to provide essential services and development project to the wished of the local people, but these objective seem to have defeated, because of corruption of bother the leader and their suborder warm, called corruption has made it difficult and derived from the local government administration some local communities and families see local government council to be their oil wells and birth right, thus they divert the funs of the councils to their private use without being questioned. It has be proved beyond reasonable that militate against the effective performance of local government areas in Nigeria and Oji-River Local Government Area is not an exception. The effects of this corruption abounds, it breeds political intolerance between the leader (local government chairman and their councilors) and their subordinates (masses). This therefore alienates the leaders from the entire public masses, thus give room for political intolerance, missus and aggression. In the same vein corruption depletes the human and material resources of the local government area and equally make development and growth to be a night mare. Corruption calls for embezzlement, bribery and avarice greed of leaders (officials) among other prevalent vices remains rampant in the local government areas, thus accounts for the glaring inadequacies of public utilities, under development of local communities, poverty and various cycle of retrogression that has pervades local government administration in Nigeria.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Local government are set for the purpose of brining government nearer to the people as well as provision of basic amenities to the community dwellers, others may includes cordial relationship between the community dwellers and near by communities and to improve public perception. Several problem has been encountered by the Oji-River local Government in ENUGU State which where as follows:

1. Inability of the leader to render useful services to the people of the local government has resulted to be bad leadership in Oji-River local government area.
2. Corruption has become the order of the day as a result of bad leadership in Oji-River local government area.
3. Bad leadership has resulted to lack of basic amenities in Oji- River local government area.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
Corruption has become the cankerworm of our society hence it has paralyzed virtually all the activities of the local government councils are now seen as the fulcrum of corruption and an avenue to swindle and direct public fund meant to carryout and execute meaningful development project to individual purse considering the non- performance by the local government administrations V12-AVIS the huge financial allocation given to the monthly, the researcher came says to achieve the following specific objective.

1. To identify the areas of corruption in Oji-River Local Government Council.
2. To determine the incident of corruption in the local government area.
3. To identify the cause of corruption in that local government area.
4. To fine out the effect of corruption on the leadership of the local government council under study.
5. To suggest ways preventing corruption in Oji -River local government area.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. Why are corrupt practice prevalent in the local government
2. What has happen to leadership in the local government
3. What are the effort of the Oji-River Local Government towards eradicating corrupt practice in the local government.

It is believed that the above research question will help give a concrete insight to the deplorable political condition in the socio-economic and political realities of the Nigerian state.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The very research project is very significant in so many ways. It is significance to all the local government that operate within and outside this country, this is because the study will expose bad leadership and how corruption can lead to poor standard of living of the community.
The study will also be relevant to the students who will like to make a research on the problems that are mostly involved in a research project. Generally, the study is very significant to the entire academic word; because it will add to the volume of existing knowledge and also serve as a reference to future research. It is also therefore hoped that the finding of this study will be of great benefit to all local government especially Oji-River local government.

1.6 SCOP OF THE STUDY
This study is intended to examine the leadership and corruption in Nigeria local government with reference to Oji-River Local Government Area of Enugu State. The nature and the extent. This study would have required extensive coverage of other local government in Enugu state but due to the financial and time constructs they were not done by the researcher.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
During the course of this project, several problem were encountered apart from financial problems to cover the running costs. There were also the problem of not on seat by the respondent, transportation problem, time constrain.

1.8 DIFINITION OF TERMS
LEADERSHIP: Can be defined as a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.
COMMUNITY: Can be define as a group of people living within a specific geographic area, such as a village, a town, a city a nabour hood, a state, a nation as the global community.
CORRUPTION: This refers to the abuse of public office for personal gain or illegal or immoral benefit. It is also a criminal offense along with bribery, extortion and embezzlement of public funds.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Is is the administrative body for a small geographic area, such as a city, town, country, or state, it also the representative councils established by law to exercise power within the defined areas.
DEVELOPMENT: This is a change from one condition to a better condition, situation, also to make Leger or become more advance in physical, infrastructural and industrial concern of a person, organisation or a state.