Challenges to Building Ethics in Public Service in Africa

Abstract

This chapter recognizes the role of the public service in executing policies and carrying out actions on behalf of the government to serve the nation. In the course of achieving a responsible discharge of such duties, ethics is germane; especially to maintain fairness and integrity and to uphold the sanctity of the office. This is the reason for having a documented code of ethics to guide the actions of public servants. However, there have often been violations of codes of ethics to such an extent that corruption starts appearing as though it were the norm. Yet, as systemic as corruption may seem to be in a public service institution, its root is from individuals who are willing to go against ethics to satisfy personal gains and to neglect the people that they are meant to serve. This chapter suggests that if the individuals in the public service are trained and motivated to behave ethically in whatever circumstances, regardless of who holds the power in government, that would be the first step on the road to building ethics in the public service. And from there, we can create a system where ethics becomes the norm and violators are reprimanded for their actions. This was based on responses from interviews of people in the public service as well as on literature review.KeywordsEthicsPublic serviceCorruptionAfricaEducationSystem