Checking indiscipline in the civil service

The civil service of today is in a sorry state; though redeemable but the lost glory may not be easily reclaimed. Serious minded politicians of the truncated 1st Republic understood the system bequeathed by the deported colonial power. These politicians ensured the progress and advancement of the civil service machinery. They made no attempt to […]

The civil service of today is in a sorry state; though redeemable but the lost glory may not be easily reclaimed. Serious minded politicians of the truncated 1st Republic understood the system bequeathed by the deported colonial power. These politicians ensured the progress and advancement of the civil service machinery. They made no attempt to violently temper with its structure and modus operandi. This positive posture gave the civil servants the necessary wherewithal to execute their duties without fear of victimization. The service was thus insulated from political interference. Schemes of service, rules and regulations, circulars, etc, which guide the daily business of ministries, departments and agencies, are virtually irrelevant in these days. From observation or experience, one does not need to dig deep and will find out many reasons for the current malaise. We shall discuss them randomly. Many career officers become angry with the appointment of a large army of Special assistants and their deliberate posting to ministries, department and agencies (MDAs) without any qualification or experience but only experts in interfering with the smooth operations of such agencies. Low quality staff from Local Government service are arbitrarily   absorbed and placed over and above their main service counterparts by politicians. Some of them catapulted to positions they do not merit. No doubt serving career officers must be frustrated. The continuous sidelining of competent and qualified career officers through the influence of the political class in favour of their cronies over the years had impacted negatively to service delivery. Not even overdose of SERVICOM will save the situation. In several instances, the foremen of the Permanent Secretaries may be superficially incapacitated by the over-bearing posture of their political counterparts called secretaries who virtually and deliberately entangle functions that do not belong to their offices.
Some Heads of Service are simply overwhelmed in such circumstances and remain cowed or ineffective. The office comes to limelight occasionally when the labour unions go on strike. Other factors contributing to the growth of indiscipline in the service could be attributed to the proliferation of   Labour Unions in the civil service, each clamouring for importance. Most of the officials of the unions no longer respect the “permanent secretaries” for the simple fact of having a direct link with top political functionaries who probably get entertained by the half-truths they are told. Many careers of top officers had been cut short due to the negative influence of the “fourth arm of the government”. There is also the inordinate ambition of some junior and inexperienced career officers to unjustly occupy positions of responsibility above their abilities.
Any of the middle ranking greedy officers could become permanent secretary overnight once his kinsman or classmate is the Speaker, majority leader, etc, of the local House of Assembly or the “Kafi gomnas” or untouchable party chieftains in their localities throwing seniority, qualification, experience and need of the service to the winds.  Other culprits in the destruction or politicization of the civil service could be found right inside impregnable fortresses. All these are happening with the collaboration of politicians or near useless retired personnel who occupy positions in the Civil Service Commissions. They often rush to “approve” recommendations to please their godfathers not to safeguard the corporate interest of the service where their children and generations unborn would expect to find something to do.
The civil servants themselves share a big portion of the blame because they have not only become politicians but directly benefit themselves by aiding and abetting the large scale plundering of the treasury. It is very easy to confirm this statement when one takes a census of luxury cars and mansions in his capital and who own them. Civil servants, if left unchecked, may start competing in the ownership of private jets. The tragedy of it all is the behaviour of civil servants towards periodic postings. The sit-tight and naughty ones often try to evade postings by all means at their disposal even where they might have spent ten or more years in one office. Such undisciplined officers make wild allegations or simply report their superiors to their political friends or godfathers in order to influence the cancellation of the posting notice.  On the other hand, the loyal ones had already completed handing/taking over formalities and fully resume in their new locations. The former’s attitude has a debilitating effect on discipline.  
In addition, politically minded civil servants fraternize openly with parties, or sponsor candidates for elective offices. Where such candidates win and occupy influential government political offices, no head of civil service or “minor” permanent secretary dare attempt to either post or probe the suspected ill-gotten wealth of such junior, middle grade or senior officer without coming into direct confrontation with the political elite. Discipline is therefore compromised under this circumstance. There may also be instances where the watchdog of the service, the Civil Service Commissions is forced to reverse its decisions and return retired officers to higher duty posts for political expediency. Similarly civil servants already disciplined under previous administrations enjoy the review of their cases duly sanctioned by the new political bigwigs.  Another serious blow to discipline is where top civil servants are victimized for being neutral throughout periods of political campaigns. This correct posture is not only misunderstood but is capitalized upon to get rid of many officers by the new rulers.  
Ahmad referred to ownership of motorcycles in the good old days of the civil service. In those days of pride in selfless service, no officer dares to own anything above his means.  His immediate superior will challenge him to explain the circumstance in accordance with the civil service rules and if found culpable he will bear the full Weight of the law.
How can one qualify the posture of some executives who appoint their kith and kin or to be precise their blood brothers to strategic   agencies and allowed to remain there for several years as if in a different civil service set-up?   A worthy welfare programme in the civil service which is gradually fizzling out is the Staff Housing Loan Scheme where civil servants draw soft loans to build their own houses. It was very effective in some States and many public officers became landlords in the process. On the creation of the Federal Mortgage Bank and the compulsory deductions from salaries of officers under the National Housing Fund, many benefitted and owned houses. Unfortunately as time went on, getting a housing loan by civil servants under this system became a mirage.
Governments at the federal and state levels must take serious measures to restore discipline in the civil services through regular training, recruitment of competent personnel and instituting promotion examinations at all levels, provision of adequate working materials, office equipment, utility vehicles and good working environment.  
A happy and adequately remunerated civil servant is an important and useful tool at the disposal of any government. Past panels report reports which reviewed the civil service from 1956 to date should be harmonised and feasible recommendations studied, rehashed and implemented for the good of the nation.

Usman (Baraden Tirwun), a retired permanent secretary, wrote from Bauchi.