Abstract
The public service of any nation is its veritable instrument for national development. If it fails, the gamut of policies meant for the nation’s development would have failed. In this sense, the observable developmental deficits in Africa cannot therefore, be separated from the failures of the continents public service and the largest chunk of these failures are located on the ethical behaviour of the public servants who are taking the service mostly as a colonial service. Writing from Nigeria hindsight, the author observed that most nation’s public service in Africa, like its larger society, have not been able to separate themselves from their history, the history of “colonial mentality.” In a way, an enduring problem noticeable within the public service in most sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) states has been what appropriate strategy will remove, the clove of “colonial mentality” associated with the public servant behaviour even years after decolonization of most SSA states and in spite of various post independent reforms put up to rectify these deficiencies. Has the knowledge of Africa Solution to Africa Problem (ASAP) instil the right type of ethical behaviours that will accept the public service as African service and not foreign service of the old exploitative order, divide and rule system and the ‘not my business’ syndrome that pervaded the era of colonial rules? It is critical that the failure of public service is a failure of service delivery in Africa. This paper, using Nigeria as a case study, does not only chronicle these failures/challenges as it affects Africa development strides, it also offers a process of public service ethics education as strategy, in order to have long-term and sustainable solutions that will promote public service delivery in Africa. <br /><br />
Highlights
Introduction and BackgroundThe public service has become a ‘big business’ in most part of Africa rather than a ‘big service’ for the people
In the light of all these, a core objective of this study is to review the present state of public service delivery, albeit, in brief and in particular to identify the major lacuna to effective delivery of public services
Anything the citizens expect to be provided by the public service. This becomes crucial nowadays because politicians and other stakeholders variously employ the concept, dividends of democracy, as a byword for service delivery. Arising from these noble expectations and theoretical assumptions, much consideration is given in this paper to the desirability of building an ethical public service to provide the right quality of leadership and quantum of service to the people
Summary
The public service has become a ‘big business’ in most part of Africa rather than a ‘big service’ for the people. Public service was designed to be an instrument for development This paradox, though recently became a contemporary issue it is a long history. Others (Ayedun 2007:108; Sehinde 2008:98; Uniamikogbo & Aibieyi 2008:108) condemn public servants as too slow, too powerful, corrupt, lazy, and lethargic and colonially brainwashed individuals These negative attributes run contrary to the role of government from time immemorial as it exists to add value to the quality of life of citizens through public policies, programmes and projects in virtually all facets of human endeavour. In spite of the poor economic indices in Africa, the public service, over the years has remained an instrument of state action, in terms of effectiveness and efficiency of public service delivery. The study advocates ethics education, starting from the formative years of the school children that will internalize values of efficiency, honesty and hard work since these are critical elements in service delivery which is on focus in the study
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