WRITTEN BY COMR. CHARLES ONYEAGBA

The Civil Service, also called The Public Service, is the facility by which Government carries into effect its policies and programs. It is composed of workers employed on an almost permanent basis, until retirement or otherwise, who are trained to run a bureaucracy in such a manner that they remain apolitical and can therefore faithfully serve any Government in power. This facility ensures that the citizens derive the benefits of government, irrespective of who is in charge. It does this by providing needed services, facilities and amenities.

In order to carry out its functions efficiently and expeditiously, the Service operates within a set of rules and guidelines, known as the Civil or Public Service Rules. These rules specify conditions for entry into, progression and exit from the Service. The Civil Service Commission is the Chief Regulatory Body responsible for recruitment, promotion, discipline, retirement and dismissal. It discharges most of these functions in tandem with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service. It follows therefore that persons not bound by, subject to or who do not operate within the ambit of these regulations and system, are not Public Servants.

The nucleus of what became the Service was constituted in 1857 by the British, using remnants of the staff of the first British Consul, Sir John Beecroft.  Before this time however, they had employed “native” artisans and later clerks, as its activities bourgeoned. Known then as the Colonial Civil Service, they worked for the Imperial Government in British West Africa in furtherance of their policy directives. They were loyal to the British Crown. Those who worked in the Ministries and Departments came to be known as Civil Servants while those in the Agencies, were Public Servants.

The former handled the day to day affairs of running the bureaucracy, dealt with files since they did mostly clerical and office work and had Permanent Secretaries or equivalent as Heads. In the Ministries, they had, in addition, Ministers/Commissioners, who attended the Executive Councils and passed down policy directives. The Agencies were more technical in nature, needed subvention to meet running costs and were often controlled by Boards, which had Chairmen. Both civil and public servants were employees of Government with almost similar conditions of service and tenure in office. They abstained from partisan politics.

Military incursion into governance began to tinker with the seamless operation of this commendable British heritage. ‘With immediate effect’, led to complaints about tardiness and red tape in response to official directives, many of which had not been thought through. In came leaders who, in attempts to effect ‘reforms’ began to short circuit the Red Tape, later christened Due Process. 

Corruption spread and impunity with it as the Civil Servants who worried about their files and its historic contents soon lost control of its checks and balances effect. The end result was a free for all in which all who dared, including some ‘obedient servants’, joined the fray. An upsurge in public treasury looting began. Without qualms, a scramble for the soul of the Service was in full swing. The Service became politicized and began the slide into decadence. 

The war against corruption must therefore include the restoration of the Civil Service, the facility that implements Government directives, with all its checks and balances. Government, as a going concern, can always throw up good as well as bad leaders and it is necessary to have a stabilizing facility that will not be subject to the idiosyncrasies and interruptions that crop up from time to time.

In the ideal setting, Civil Servants should not wear party uniform, should not attend party meetings and should be completely insulated from partisan politics. That should ensure allegiance to any Government in power and strict adherence to its official directives. As a facility of all three tiers and three arms of Government, it should be insulated from politics, kept strictly professional and maintain its advisory and executor role. This will help curb the mindless exuberance of anything-now-goes in the Public Services of the Federation.

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