Public Service in Nigeria

MEANING OF PUBLIC SERVICE
Public service is an organized body consisting of public servants (civil servants and elected or appointed officials), that provides essential service for the citizens of a country. It consists of government or its departments. Public service provides services to people to improve quality of lives in the public sector and not necessarily for profit making.

Characteristics Of Public Service
1. It consists of civil servants and public servants.
2. It creates employment by recruiting members of its staff through the commission or the organization itself.
3. Public service comes directly under government, in terms of budget, it has its own sources of funds from the revenue of the government.
4. Public service is non profit and always willing to do things that are helpful for everyone in the society.

Reasons For Shortcoming In The Public Service

1. Colonial Influence: Colonialism has greatly affected the public service based on the way things were done. The conservative mode of administration is what exists in the public service. Unlike in the private sector where administration has been modernized, the public service carries on the way it has been carrying on its activities since before and after independence.

2. Corruption: This is prevalent in the public service because of the way things are done. Employments are sometimes done by the person seeking for that office having to give out some money or some favour before he or she can be employed. Even promotions are not done on merit but based on "who you know" not "what you know". In such situation, the vacancy to be filled either by promotion or employment is for the highest bidder or when a person who is not a public servant has something to do with the public service either for his papers to be signed or so, favours, must change hands before all these are done.

3. Inconsistency In Government Policies: Despite the fact that the public service is part of the policy making body of government and it makes suggestions to the government in matters that affect it, government may not follow their advice. The government will make different policies inconsistent with what used to be obtained may be in the quest to change the public service. It at times creates new Public Commission or Agencies and dissolve others which have been in existence or even merge some agencies or commission to others, with different or inconsistent policies.

Originally Written by Victor Adegoke of Esker Victor's Blog