CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Plural and sharply divided societies all over the world attempt to manage their diversities and divisive tendencies through one or combination of policy alternatives in the organization and management of their public services for performance; and Nigeria is not an exception (Bodunrin, 1989; Ayoade, 2000; Abdullah, 2007). Often times, these policy alternatives turn out to be delicate arrangements; but when carefully conceived, crafted and practiced, it provides opportunity for centre-seeking and centre-fleeing forces to interact peacefully and co-habit on agreed terms which has been proved to have enhanced productivity. One of such policy alternatives adopted for the management of the public service in Nigeria for even representation is the federal character principle, which was borne out of the need to ensure even spread of government appointments in all the regions, states and local government councils in the country (Nzeshi, 2012).

Nigeria is a federal society comprising 36 states structure with a population of more than 150 million people and has more than 250 ethnic groups, which necessitate an arrangement that could accommodate people from the different segments of the country in the public service (Gberevbie, 2012). The notion of federal character presupposes the existence of a federal society. However, as a federal state, Nigeria was faced with the challenge of how to imbibe the principle of federalism in practice. As a result, the quota system was introduced into the Nigerian public service in 1958 by the government to ensure equitable representation of the various groups in the country (Tonwe and Oghator, 2009). To further consolidate on the gains of the quota system, the Federal Military Government of Generals Murtala Mohammed and OlusegunObasanjo in the drafting and approval of the 1979 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria during the transition to civilian rule (1976-79) introduced into the Nigerian political and administrative landscapes the principle of federal character (Ekeh, 1989). Federal character principle sought to give opportunities in education and employment, usually at the point of entry, to disadvantaged groups and areas to enable them compete and catch up with more advanced areas and sectors of the nation (Ekeh, 1989).

In comparing the practice of quota system with that of the federal character principle, Ekeh (1989) posits that the latter demands far more than the former in the sense that it switches emphasis from opportunities to privileges and benefits. He argues that federal character principle is a legal weapon put in place to regulate appointments, promotions, security of tenure and severance in every government department. The reference to the phrase disadvantaged groups in the area of educational opportunities means that special consideration should be given to candidates from the Northern provinces and other areas where educational facilities were more backward than elsewhere (Gboyega, 1989). The awkward application of the federal character principle tends to pose challenges to the productivity of the Nigerian public service through the circumscription of merit. Such practice of the principle of federal character in personnel procurement without due regard for merit is more likely to mire efforts at sustainable development in a society.

The formal adoption of the federal system in Nigeria, which came into existence with the introduction of the Lyttleton constitution of 1954, signaled the need for representative bureaucracy that could address the problem in the composition of the federal public service anchored on productive service delivery (Adamolekun, 1989; Ayoade, 2000;Ikelegbe, 2004). Accordingly, Max Weber (1864-1920) showed the way forward on how to achieve organizational productivity through the theory of ideal bureaucracy; and it is doubtful if any modern human organization, whether in public and private sector can function adequately without adhering to the principle of rationality in employee procurement and rewards as postulated by Max Weber (Edigin and Otoghile, 1994; Anyebe, 2004).

The main focus of this research project is the Federal Civil Service. The Civil Service is a body without which the business of government would be impossible to operate. The role of the civil servant is so vital that such personnel is expected to be productive, progressive and enterprising; hence the need to employ well educated, skilled and experienced people.

But for political reasons, the Federal Civil Service now combines the administrative ethics of merit and political doctrine of federal character as a recruitment policy because of the need for a representative bureaucracy.

The federal character principle was incorporated as an employment policy having taken into cognizance the impervious and insistence demand by each ethnic group, no matter how small numerically, or how poor materially, or how backward educationally for a fair and dignified place in the Nigeria sum.

For some time now, the Federal Civil Service has come under criticism because its performance and productivity left much to be desired. Many attribute its unproductive and inefficiency to the adoption of the Federal Character Principle which they believe negates the administrative ethics of merit system –skill, qualification, experience through training which are the basic criteria for efficiency. However,this study seek to examine the relationship between federal character/quota system and productivity of Nigeria public service.