ABSTRACT
This chapter helps to prove the weak accountability of government in an attempt to relate development to accountability. Development is central to discussion and debate on the future well-being of Third World countries which continue to experience poverty, inequality, hunger, malnutrition, diseases and unemployment. Third World countries have embraced development not only to secure their independence from colonialism but also to meet rising expectations of material betterment. Weak accountability leads to poor administrative performance which leads to a lack of development in terms of economic growth. Responsiveness exclusive to the interests of elite groups is a consequence of weak accountability, hampering development. Weak accountability leads to cumbersome machinery of government which causes development problems. D. C. Korten maintains that bureaucratic management poorly serves the requirements of people-centred development. Corruption is another consequence of weak accountability which seriously affects the effectiveness of development. Development activities initiated at local level were controlled by centrally-recruited and centrally-controlled bureaucrats.
