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The Nigerian Civil Service From The Liberal Perspective By Ja’afar Salisu Ilallah
The Nigerian civil service is an indispensable component of the federal government. As a sine-quinoa for a modern independent state, it must be efficient for the provision of continued technological and social development for the enhancement of the government in the society. Adobe’s commission rightly pointed out that ‘effectiveness of the government is to a large extent determined by the efficiency and competence of the civil service.
From the conventional administrative perspective, the civil service is an instrument for both policy advice and implementation of the will of the state as determined by a legitimate political institution for which the service most is subordinated and subservient.
Max Weber warned the subjection of the civil service to political control is necessary to prevent the institution from becoming a master rather than the servant of the society as well as ensuring discharge of its functions, The modus operandi of the civil service is such that would insulate it from blame when government policies misfire while allowing it a share of credit for successful public policies.
From a conventional wisdom, the societies expect and conceived the civil service as machinery for development. This is because it is in charge of identifying economic development as a goal attributes to their bureaucracies as a capacity for initiating and managing their state resources. The opportunities to apply effective creation talents and capabilities foster an increased state and bureaucratic control over individual human beings.
We must note that the civil service is not only an end but a means of governmental control in the state. It had to rely on the regime either democratic or military as the government of the day. My point of interest is how and for what purpose the civil service would direct its creative talent in such a political system of the day. The thesis emphasizes on separation of this interest of the Nigeria state from a collect and or sectional interest of the members of civil service, hence Nigeria high civil service and has exploited its partnership with either military or democratic government to protect the country’s integrity. Commonality of the characteristics and interest argument subscribed to people and institutions identical ethics trend to pull together mutual advantage. The civil serv ice and the government tend to pull together because of their identical organizational, behavioral and ideological characterized as bureaucratic institutions. Number of attributes as functional specialization role specificity, a hierarchical organization characterized by centralism, upward and down ward communication flows and superior subordinate relations, order, discipline, internal cohesion and espride corps, secular rationality, commitment to goal achievement and to national service.
From the perception of social Darwinism, ’ ’Only the technically competence will lead’ for major Nzeogwu’s Kaduna understanding of the civil service in development, after all, we have now got experts to do the job for us’’
The public image of the civil service is its contribution for the maintenance of unity and stability of the country. It service is commended for providing the semblance of government order and the continuity when everything about governmental direction seemed lost. In provision of the organizational and technical resources for reconstruction programmed in furthering the inspiriting and directing socio-economic development of the country. Their structural and ideological weakness has vitiated to contribute positively to the attainment of national unity and stability.
It is the belief of the people that, the greater attraction of the bureaucratic leadership is for greater capacity, relative to other groups, to induce and manage economic growth in fulfillment of the aspiration of their people. The Nigerian civil service is made up of abundant supply of technical skills, a capacity for large scale management, a disposition to accept and try new ideas, a time sense that makes men more interest in the present and future than in the past, a better sense of punctuality, a great concern for planning, organizing and efficiency in a tendency to see the world as a calculable, a faith in science and technology and belief in distributive justice as the ultimate goal of the state that accelerates economic development.
The ultimate goal of bureaucratic leadership is social justice for all Nigerian. It has been motivating factor in economic participation, production distribution, exchange and consumption, the civil service is not and can never foster equally distribution of power resources, economic resources among group and institution since people or men are not created equal. With this visible inclination, the civil service innovativeness, use of initiative and efforts as core in boasting productivity and effectiveness. Public policies implementation ensures to diffuse the means of power and influences as the indigenous people enjoys the commanding heights of our national economy.
The image of the Nigerian civil service is not one of an out right villain nor indolence and inactive. As belief to be full of intensive and extensive activities determined and directed toward the satisfaction of sectional and general interests.
The civil service erroneous belief of what is good for the civil service top management is equally good for Nigeria must be debriefed as to foster scientific presentation and analysis of Nigerian yeaning and aspirations.
JA'AFAR SALISU HADEJIA Nifor quaters Dutse Jigawa state 08025720980
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