UNETHICAL BEHAVIOUR IN THE CIVIL SERVICE

UNETHICAL BEHAVIOUR IN THE CIVIL SERVICE

The collapse of ethical and professional standards in virtually all aspects of our national life cannot be more profound in other sector than the civil service. This is because as the largest employer of labour in the country, its efficiency and effectiveness has an over-arching effect on the state of the society. It is a major administrative section of government responsible for policy formulation, implementation and regulation. 

Public service all around the world like other professions is guided by set of rules and norms. These rules often referred to as code of ethics are the standard with which professionalism is measured. Notable among these codes are; impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, transparency, frugality, high level of integrity, confidentiality, loyalty to state, efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.

The civil service which of course is a reflection of the present Nigerian society is bedeviled by various unprofessional and unethical practices. A large number of the Nigerian civil servants cannot be said to be disciplined, professional nor efficient and effective in the exercise of their duties. Corruption, wanton waste of public resources, deplorable state of public utilities, nepotism and favoritism seems to be the prevailing values of today’s public service in Nigeria.

Ironically, various control mechanisms have been put in place to guide the conduct of public service in Nigeria. These include the fifth schedule of the 1999 constitution, the Civil Service Rules, Guidelines for appointment, promotion and discipline issued by the civil service commission, the code of conduct bureau etc. However, while the concern is not majorly the presence or suitability of these restraining measures, it is rather the seeming non-enforcement and apathy on the part of the public servants themselves that is of great concern.

Citing the latest ministerial appointments by the present government, we cannot categorically state that this guidelines and rules were followed to the latter. Since the president seemed to appoint ministers base on geographical and political reasons.

Even at the continental level, the Charter for Public service in Africa, adopted by African Ministers at Windhoek, Namibia, including Nigeria in 2001 is one of such initiative. The charter was developed to achieve three interrelated purposes of; Defining the principles and general rules governing African public services with respect to transparency, professionalism and ethical standards; Giving concrete expression to the commitment of African States to promote such values in the public service; and Serving as a policy framework for the public service administration of all African countries and a source of inspiration for the development, strengthening or updating of national codes of conduct. However, successful domestication of this charter remains to be seen.

So what are the challenges associated with implementing these rules? The Nigerian society is culpable. The pervading cynical and despairing nature of the populace has rubbed off on the public service significantly. The Nigerian society presently suffers a great value and ethics lacuna. Hitherto age-longed values of hard work and integrity which were hallmark of the Nigerian society have been eroded greatly. Mediocrity, hypocrisy, nepotism, favoritism, corruption and idolation of material wealth are now the order of the day. How then do we expect an “angelic” public service to emerge from such a society?

One of the innovative ways we have designed to combat the scourge of corruption which has been elevated to the status of acceptable mode of behavior in Nigeria today is to begin to identify icons of hope in our public service who have against all odds remained epitome of integrity, honesty, neutrality, frugality and untainted. These are individuals who have managed to hold on to their heads when others have lost and increasingly loosing theirs, individuals who have not given to inordinate pursuit and love of material acquisition from questionable means. Such individuals have the moral pedigree to inspire, motivate and encourage a number of other public servants who are also tired of the general stereotype that has rubbed off on their integrity too. They have the moral standing to push these reforms collectively forming themselves into “vanguards of hope” in the public service. Such vanguards would serve as reinforcing communities within the public service encouraging value-laden, ethical and professional conducts.

The effects of these will be far reaching. It would not be limited to the public service as it would have a multiplier effect on the private sector, civil society and also the image of the country globally.

The effect will be an increase in number of individuals who are collectively committed to the highest standard of conducts in their activities. Service delivery in the most efficient and effective manners will take centre stage. General consciousness to avoid wastage, corruption, nepotism and other ills will become the basis of the renewed society. The incidence of corrupt practices will begin to reduce drastically.

GENDER INEQUALITY IN THE CIVIL SERVICE

Over the years, Nigerian women have been relegated to the background especially in issues of political representation. This is largely due to the fact that the Nigerian political system (both pre-colonial and post-colonial political system) is highly patriarchal in nature with men often in the lead of the political affairs and women occupying very insignificant roles.

Factors such as social, cultural and religious factors coupled with the complex nature of the Nigerian political process have been identified to be largely responsible for the marginalization of women especially in the issues of public service, political representation and governance. The appointment of the present ministers in Nigerian showed that gender equality in public service and political participation still lags behind. For instance, the present serving ministers in Nigeria, women occupy only 6 seats out of the 36 ministerial seats.

The way forward

The pace at which the numbers of women participate in public service has not been quite impressive; the percentage of women in active political participation is still below the threshold. This slow speed has led to various wake up calls, awareness campaigns, conferences, increased agitations for a more effective and efficient method of achieving gender balance in politics all over the world- Nigeria is not an exception. Nigeria being a signatory to the African charter on human and people’s rights on the rights of women in Africa (Maputo protocol) and the millennium declaration of September 2000 made a pledge among other things to tackle gender issues and women empowerment with a set –out dead line of 2015.

The introduction of quota system for women represents one of such means of achieving gender balance in electoral process. The rationale behind the quota system is to recruit women into political position and ensure that women do not remain at the bottom of the list. Quota system aims at ensuring that women constitute a large minority of 30-40% or even achieve a true gender balance of 50-50%. Quota system proposes that women as a matter of necessity form a certain percentage of the members of parliament.

STRUCTURAL CLASSES IN THE CIVIL SERVICE

The civil service in 1990 consisted of the federal civil service, the 21 autonomous state civil services, the unified local government service, and several federal and state civil services including parastatals and corporations. The federal and state civil services were organized around government departments headed by ministers (federal) and commissioners (state), who were appointed by the President and government, respectively. These political heads were responsible for policy matters. The administrative heads of the ministry were the directors general, formerly called permanent secretaries. The ‘chief’ director general was the secretary to government. Until 1988 reforms, the civil service was organized strictly according to British traditions; it was apolitical, civil servants were expected to serve every government in a non-partisan way unlike the present dispensation were ministers are appointed base on geographical and political affiliations, and the norms of impersonality and hierarchical authority were well entrenched.

Functions of the federal civil service

The federal civil service commission (FCSC) is responsible for;

1. Representing of the civil service commissioners at senior staff committee meetings of ministers.
2. Review and approval of recommendations on disciplinary cases of senior officers.
3. Recruitment of senior officers.
4. Ratification of promotion of officers to senior positions, including conducting promotion, interviews and exams.
5. Hearing appeals on matters of appointments, promotions and discipline.
6. Providing guidelines on appointments, promotions and discipline.

Is Freedom Free?

Free Freedom!

Posted by Emmanuel Francis

It is interesting to note that most of society is free. There 

is a percentage of the populous that is incarcerated for 

crimes against society. So too, are there people who 

live in political cultures that do not value the freedom 

of its' people. 

 

Nevertheless, the majority of the people in the world live

in relative freedom. They can choose whom they marry, 

what they do for a living, and where they live. Most 

societies allow their people to move around freely 

without restraint. As long as an individual is obeying 

the laws, that person has wide latitude in conduct.

The freedoms offered by governments are physical 

freedoms that all its' law abiding members enjoy. 

However, many operate in a "prison like" atmosphere 

regardless of what they are given. This prison does 

not exist on the material plane. Rather, it is a creation

of the mind. It is manufactured from an individual's 

belief system. These beliefs become people's jailers.

Most will tell you that they can think for themselves. 

To suggest that they are incapable of creating their 

own ideas is met with an overwhelming attitude to 

the contrary. All their success, experiences, and 

intelligence give a sense of independence. They 

mistakenly believe that their belief systems is of their 

own making. Unfortunately for them, it is not.

A fundamental concept to creating the life that you 

desire is to create a belief system that works for you.

Contrary to what most think, our beliefs systems are

shaped by the influences around us. Teachers, parents,

friends, co-workers, and institutions all have input into 

the beliefs that we live by. Have you ever noticed how 

children's ideas often reflect those of their parents? 

This is so common that political organizations poll school 

children during Presidential elections because they 

accurately reflect the sentiment of the adults.

The governments of the world are masters at shaping

the belief system of its' people. Through the use of 

propaganda, public opinion is swayed based upon 

the desires of those in power. 

This is often done in the name of nationalism. A group 

of people is established as a threat to the society. 

Events are shown to validate this viewpoint while creating

the emotional dislike towards that group. Thus, the 

government is free to act as it see fit with the full support 

of its people. Unfortunately, most people do not have 

firsthand experience to form a solid conclusion. Of course, 

they will defend their belief even though that are not certain

where it came from.

It is common for people and organizations to manipulate 

other's beliefs for the sake of control. The government is

one example. Some religions throughout history has 

acted in a similar manner. They used threat of an angry 

Deity and eternal damnation to control the masses. There 

were numerous instances where the Church of England

was the most powerful organization in Europe. With a 

following that is under control, it is much easier to maintain

influence. Naturally, there are many denominations where

this is not the case. So, too, are their many people who's 

lives are enhanced by their religious affiliation. 

Unfortunately, this is not true in all instances.

The key to a belief systems is creating one that works for

you. As an adult, you have the freedom to believe anything

that you desire. Spending time questioning where some

of your beliefs came from is healthy. It is also effective 

to determine whether they still work for you. If they assist 

you into being happy, joyous, and free, then they are 

worthwhile. However, when they instill pain, perhaps it is 

time to rethink them.

Ironically, the beliefs that seem to cause the most chaos

in people's lives come from those who love us the most. 

Many individuals suffer from psychological disorders due

to the influences of their parents. Things such as low self

esteem, abandonment, and sexual issues all come from

our upbringing.

Typically, one who suffer from any of these, was made to 

feel guilty and shameful. Their worth was shown to be 

tied to their performance which never was good enough.

Mistakes were not forgiven but something to be used as

a weapon to make the other feel worse. All this was done

as a form of control.

Leap forward 20 years and you find that a person who 

grew up in this atmosphere often still carries these beliefs.

Even though recent experiences will prove to the contrary, 

the individual still hears the words of the parent. It affects

the relationships with friends, lovers, coworkers, and 

oneself. 

Without some help, the person is often incapable of 

healthy interaction with others. There is a degree of 

sickness in all that is done. Thus, the individual turns

to other things to fill that void that exists whether it is 

drugs, alcohol, sex, or food. 

However, if the belief system was viewed as insane,

the person might be apt to change it. Simply altering a

few of the basic beliefs one holds regarding oneself

miraculously changes life.

The more that we can accept that it is likely that what 

we believe came from other, the better our chances are

of attaining freedom. There are many things that were 

taught to us by others growing up which serve us well. 

This is especially true if we were raised in a loving 

home. However, society being as selfish as it is, there 

is much that stands in our way of happiness. Analyzing

our belief system gets to the root of what motivates us.

A system that contains a great deal of fear will cause 

one to often act out of that fear. The opposite is also true. 

To create 'our' life, it begins with creating 'our' own 

belief system.

To Your Success

Hubert Koh

Founder and Chief Success Officer,

67GoldenRules.com

RIGHT OR WRONG

Right or Wrong

By Destine.

The Oxford dictionary defines ‘Right’ first as ‘morally good’ (to do something), what is correct according to law or a person’s duty. While ‘Wrong’ is defined first as ‘not correct’ or not right.

Something has gone insidiously wrong. Many of us know it, but what to do evade us.

According to one author, we've seriously lost our way. He says we are men adrift at sea without a compass. As a result, moral dilemmas plague us in our everyday lives and in decisions we make in all our daily activities. So the question now is how do one know the difference between right or wrong in situations? Does religion have anything to offer? Does the government have any answers?

In the present day our leaders have nothing to say that is practical and helpful. Not only because of the fact that they have moral mediocrities, but are mostly insincere especially after attaining power.

Survey tells us that most people in our so-called modern society claim that truth is not always and generally valid, but can be judged only in relation to other things, such as your personal situation: in essence what is right for one person is not necessarily right for another. I think that it is very easy to say there are no objective or absolute moral principles. it is much difficult, however, to live as if there are none.

Right and wrong is embedded in the human mind naturally; due in the course of evolution and civilization of homo. Anthropologists and sociologists often assume that human beings have natural social tendencies. Some evolutionary biologists believe that morality is a product of evolutionary forces acting at an individual level and also at the group level and also at the group level through group selection. Some sociobiologists contend that the set of behaviors that constitute morality evolved largely because they provided possible survival and/or reproductive benefits in the sense that they increased evolutionary success. Humans consequently evolved "pro-social" emotions, such as feelings of empathy or guilt, in response to the moral behaviors. (en.m.wikipedia. org / wiki/ morality)

What would you do if, during Nigerian civil war you were hiding some Hausa-Fulani people in your home and a Biafran soldier came to your door and asked if there were any Hausas inside? Would you tell the truth and consign these people to death, or would you lie to protect them? Most people will respond to this question with the "logical conclusion" that they would lie and protect the refugees. For a long time now many people have used such moral dilemma to disprove the existence of moral absolutes.

In view of moral dilemmas like this one, and other pivotal disagreements over ethical questions like abortion, euthanasia, pre-marital sex and capital punishment, many think that moral values must be relative to individuals, culture or time. People do not realize that an increasing number of philosophers these days think that ethical relativism is naive and that morality is objectively true.

Back in the days just before the Second World War, things were different. The western world was dominated by a particular value system.

In a book titled 1938: A world vanishing, Brain Cleeve wrote about the difference between Britain as it was entering the war and the way it had become about 50 years later. He said: “there really was, as nostalgia remembers, an air of greater contentment. Of a sturdier confidence in the future [people] had a greater stock of moral certainties, right and wrong were not matters for debate."

Since then much has changed, of course, now right and wrong are matters for debate. Michael Horner a Canadian philosopher said “the way we live, our behavior and the way we respond when other people are mistreated, these things reveal what we really believe about “right and wrong.” For example, we believe it was morally wrong for the Nazis to torture and kill six million Jews during World War II. but we not only think it is wrong, we think everyone should agree that it is wrong. There is a logical possibility that we are mistaken and it is just our cultural conditioning that tells us these things are wrong. This may be a logical possibility, but it is very likely that our deepest intuitions about this matter could be mistaken? That would mean torturing people is not really wrong; we just think it is. But if this basic intuition is wrong, that is, if it is possible that our beliefs and intuitions, such as our belief in cultural conditioning, are also the results of these same conditioning process? If so, it seems this line of reasoning is self- refuting; it fails its own test.

Most people know that such atrocities as what the holocaust are genuinely, objectively wrong. Christians believe that if objective principles of right or wrong exist, there must be a foundation for them. And the foundation that makes the most sense is the character of a perfect and Holy God (Michael Horner: is there any real right or wrong). Much of our morality was based on the Books of books, the Bible. Sadly, today it’s thought by many to be no more than a piece of great literature. There was a time when we all could recite the Ten Commandments. There was a time when our parents led the way in disciplining us for bad behavior; this was done in collaboration with teachers and elders in the community who all had a charge in raising a child for the better with good morals. Recently it has become a bounden duty of parents alone and even that is burning out.

As observed by David Hulme, the end of the Second World War was a turning point. And while the morality of the 30’s was not perfect, Cleeve noted that “to exchange a false morality for no morality at all is not necessarily an exchange for the better. And if as a survivor of pre- war years I were to offer an opinion as to one difference between then and now that is for the worse, I would have to choose morality… the morality of believing that there are real and objective standards of behavior, that there are such things as virtues, and such things as vices; that certain things are unarguably good, and others unarguably bad.”

However there are basic principles that exist to help us determine if something is right or wrong, these principles don’t change according to individual or society for they are always true. Like the fact that every human always have that tendency to treat others how they would want to be treated too. Even if a person does what can be termed as morally wrong to people or the society and acts or seem justified with their action, deep within them in the inner recesses of the mind as in all humans a decision is always made before taking action and that choice is made always between is my action right or wrong? This thereby establishes as a fact that there is right and there is wrong… Right and wrong exists.