Federal Character/Quota System and Productivity of Nigeria Public Service (A Case Study of National Planning Commission 2004-2014)
Chapter One
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
- To examine the extent to which the federal character and quota system is jeopardizing merit in the recruitment and of personnel in the public service.
- To identify the effectiveness and efficiency of the federal character principle and quota system in the recruitment of personnel into the public service.
- To identify probable problems in the application of the federal character principle and quota system on the recruitment of personnel into the public service.
- To examine the overall implications of federal character principle and quota system on the recruitment exercise in the public service.
CHAPTER TWO:
LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
LITERATURE REVIEW
The review of the federal character principle and quota system in the Nigeria: A critical assessment of recruitment exercise in the service, will be centered on the concept of federalism as a reason for the principles, the federal character principle, quota system, meritocracy, and The federal character commission being a body established to implement the federal character principle in all government agencies and parastatals in Nigeria.
FEDERALISM AND THE FEDERAL STRUCTURE OF NIGERIA
An understanding of the concept of federalism, its basic features and its applicability in the Nigeria context is paramount to the discussion of the principle and practice of federal character in Nigeria’s administration. Jordan (1978:303), defines federalism as that form of government which has two levels of authority existing side by side, in some cases sharing powers and in other cases not, usually several local or regional governments exist in a semi-independent relationship with a central government. Adebayo (2002:203), says that federalism requires that the general and regional that the general and regional governments of a country shall be independent of each other within its sphere, and shall not be a subordinate to one another but co-ordinate with each other. Neither history nor politics nor economics has given cause of “federalism” in Nigeria a smooth ride. However, a lot depends on what one means by the plain word “federalism”.
Federalism according to Tekena (2011) is that form of government where the component units of a political organization participate in sharing powers and functions in a cooperative manner through the combined forces of ethnic pluralism and cultural diversity, among others, which tends to pull their people apart. To Suberu (2009) ‘Federalism’ involves constitutional and irrevocable division of governmental powers and functions on a territorial basis within a single country. It entails the division of power between central and constituent authorities. Although the arrangement of functions and responsibilities within a federal state is usually based on some constitutional or legal framework, the constitution may be a poor guide in determining whether a political system is federal or otherwise. To this school of thought, federalism should be understood not just from the narrow perspective or confines of legal formulation but from the general and systemic interaction of socio-cultural and political factors.
Nigeria is a federation with 36 States and 774 local governments existing in a coordinate and autonomous relationship. Power are shared among the federating unit that makes up the federation i.e. federal, state and local government and each unit has it own autonomous power within it area of jurisdiction usually the federal government have a greater bound of unity with power in the center. However the sharing of power between the center and the component units is in accordance with the constitutional provisions. The federal constitution of Nigeria defined closely the allocation of legislative and executive power between the levels of government; given references to section 4 of the 1999 federal constitution of Nigeria, The constitution provides three lists, the exclusive list, the concurrent list and the residual list. The exclusive list consisted of forty-five provisions on which the federal government only could legislate. The concurrent list contained twenty-nine provisions on which both the federal and states government could legislate, but with the provision that, in the event of any inconsistency in the legislation of the government, federal law will remain supreme. Thus, all subjects or matters not mentioned in the two lists fell to the state government to legislate.
CHAPTER THREE:
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In academic environments, research is essentially an investigation, a recording and improvement on existing knowledge. Research is a systematic method of acquiring knowledge other than by chance trial and error. According Ezeani (2011:2), Research is the process of arriving at dependable solutions to problem through the planned and systematic collection, presentation analysis and interpretation of data. Research introduces system planning and purpose into investigation hence kerlinger (1979) sees it as empirical, controlled, systematic and critical investigation of hypothetical prepositions about presumed relations among natural phenomenon.
According to the Encarta dictionary (2009) methodology means the methods or organizing principles underlying a particular art, science, or other area of study. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (2008) sees methodology as a body of methods, rules and postulates employed by a discipline: a particular procedure or set of procedure.
In carrying out this research work, certain methods are employed. This chapter explain in depths the procedures the researcher intends to follow in arriving at the inferences of this work .In this chapter issues concerning the
research design, population of the study, sample and sampling techniques, sources of data collection, Instrument for the data collection, validation and reliability of instrument and the method of analysis will be discuss in depth.
RESEARCH DESIGN
This is the specification of procedures for collecting and analyzing the data necessary to help solve the problem at hand; such that the difference between the cost of obtaining various levels of accuracy, and the expected value of information associated with each level of accuracy is maximized.
The research design applied here is aimed at examining The Federal character principle and Quota system in Nigeria: A critical assessment of the recruitment exercise in the public service, with National planning commission as the case study. The type of research design adopted for this research is the survey approach which is carried out through observational studies and selecting sample from the population (of the staff) ranging from The Administration Office to various departments in the organization.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
This simply means the aggregate of persons from whom data to the study were collected. The population of this research work constitutes an aspect of the employees at the National Planning Commission (NPC) being the organization under study, a sample which was selected on purpose. Although, the organization has 50 employees in total.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
The essence of this chapter is to present and analyze the data collected for the study. The presentation and analysis were based on the responses gotten from the respondents (Staff of National Planning Commission NPC through the questionnaire administration to them.
The data are presented and analyzed with table and simple percentage. The questionnaires were distributed to members of staffs selected on purpose out of which 20 copies were returned. The researcher decided to concentrate on the responses of the 20 people at his disposal at the time given for his analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY
This research work centered on federal character principle and quota system in Nigeria, with a critical assessment of employees productivity in the public service and the National Planning Commission (NPC) Sokoto state used as a case study. The choice of the topic arose from the recognition of the fact that the continuous implementation of the federal character principle and quota system can lead to the violation of the merit principle and lowering of standards in the recruitment of personnel into the public service which will serve as way of recruiting and promoting less competent staff into the organisation which will inevitably lead to poor performance.
The work attempted to uncover the critical issue involved in the federal character principle and quota system through the review of related literature on the functions of the federal character commission, composition and powers of the commission, general principle and formulae for recruitment process, federalism and the federal structure of Nigeria. Etc.
Four hypotheses were developed in the beginning of the research project which serve as a guide, and tested based on the data collected through the use of questionnaire with statistical analysis “chi-square”, consequent upon a thorough research on analysis of the data. The following was the result of the hypothesis; The application of federal character principle and quota system largely to an extent jeopardizes merit in the recruitment of personnel into the public service, the federal character principle and quota system are inefficient and ineffective in the recruitment of personnel into, that there are probable problems in the application of the federal character principle and quota system on the recruitment of personnel into the public service, and that the federal character principle and quota system has numerous implications on the recruitment process in the public service..
CONCLUSION
In conclusion we can agree that Employee Productivity in NPC is based on federal character principle and quota system, The federal character principle and quota system are not efficient and effective enough in the recruitment 0f personnel into NPC. The application of federal character principle and quota system does not jeopardize merit in the Employee Productivity at NPC. There are probable problems in the application of federal character principle and quota system on recruitment process in NPC, The application of the federal character principle and quota system is having implications on the Employee Productivity in NPC, The application of federal character principle and quota system on the Employee Productivity at NPC improves workers performance, The Federal Character Commission does not proprely supervise the application of the federal character principle and quota system in the recruitment process at NPC, that the application of federal character principle and quota system on the Employee Productivity in the public service has not solved the problem of unequal representation across the country, and that there should be the continous use of the federal character principle and quota system on the Employee Productivity in the public service.
From the finding of the research work the researcher discovered that the federal character principle and quota system has some deficiencies. The actual application of the federal character principle negates the merit system of civil/public service in which the NPC is not an exception since appointments and promotion are not always based on merit. This is to say that positions in NPC state are traditionally reserved for some persons against others who may be more qualified for such positions. This creates the impression of discrimination and sectionalism.
Notwithstanding the deficiencies inherent in the application of federal character principle and quota system on the recruitment of personnel into the public service which has resulted in endangering of the standards and professionalism in the organization, it has in many ways helped in solving the problem of marginalization or unequal representation in the Nigerian public service.
RECOMMENDATION
In view of the research finding, the following recommendations are made in order to enhance the general effectiveness of the application of federal character principle in the appointment and promotion in the National Planning Commission (NPC) sokoto state and the Civil / Public service in general.
- The Application of Merit system or meritocracy should become the Linchpin in the recruitment of personnel into the Nigerian public service in order not to endanger standards and professionalism.
- The need to strike a balance between the application of federal character principle, quota system and the Merit principle in order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the service, and for equity, unity and fairplay to prevail in the country.
- The problem of political selfish manipulation of the principle of the federal character and quota system for personal or sectional gain should be checked, defaulters punish and prosecuted.
- Even educational developmental programmes should be carried out in Nigeria by the government, in order to enable each state, provide qualified persons to represent them in the distribution of positions in the public service.
- The federal Character commission should always inspect public service institutions to ensure proper implementation of federal character principle and to guard against violation of the merit principle.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- 1999 Constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria.
- Adebayo, A. (1989), Principles and Practice of Public Administration in Nigeria; Ibadan: spectrum books LTD
- Akpan, Ntioyoung U. (1982), Public Administration in Nigeria; Lagos: Longman Nig. Plc.
- Amadi .A (2008), Management of Public Enterprise and Co-operatives: A multi- Disciplinary Approach; Enugu: Agmasun publishers
- Ayoade J.A. The federal character principle and the search for national integration. In : Amuwo.K, Agbaje .A, Suberu R.T; federalism and political restructuring in Nigeria. Ibadan; Spectrum:1989 p101-120
- Beach, D.S (1975), Personnel: The Management of People at Works; New York: McMillan Publishing Company
- Betrand Russell (1938), Power: A new Social Analysis; Moscow: progress publishers.
- Constitution drafting committee. Report of the constitution drafting committee vol.1 Lagos Nigeria: federal ministry of information printing division 1977.
- Ekeh P.P The structure and meaning of the federal character in Nigerian political system. In Ekeh P.P AND Osaghae E.E(eds) Federal character and federalism in Nigeria. Ibadan Heinemann educational books p19-44
