CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
In Nigeria today, the use of federal character principle has become an instrument for employment into Federal, State and Local Government Civil Service. In most federal system of government, the major issue is usually that of resources sharing among the federal units at horizontal and vertical level. According to Elaigwu, (1992), where the sharing arrangements are working well, there are less agitations and citizens have a feeling of belonging and equity. However, in Nigeria, after a series of debate in 1975 the constitutional drafting committee was set up which established Federal Character Commission as a body charged with the responsibility of implementing the federal character principle in order to ensure equitable sharing of posts in the civil services. This was also enshrined in the 1999 federal Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The federal character principle as enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria is to ensure equitable distributions of bureaucratic and political roles in the civil service at federal, states and local government levels. The objectives of the policy are to foster national unity and give every Nigerian a sense of belonging in the country. In support of this view Usman, (2004), said that it was an effort to re-address the unbalanced structure and ethnic domination in government so that national integration could be achieved. The federal character principle which is implemented under the federal character commission is therefore designed and initiated to correct adverse impact resulting from opportunities and resources provided by the federal government to the citizens of the country that appears neutral but have a discriminatory effect on a protected group. The federal character principle is therefore structured to ensure strong and indivisible nation based on justice and fairness, while also ensuring that a sense of belonging of all Nigerians is still maintained. As laudable as the above policy may be, and the empowerment of the concept in the nation’s constitution, its application has remained a debatable topic to which some critics have claimed that the policy comprise the merit system which will create an enabling environment for those that are only qualified to be employed into the Nigerian civil service, thereby fostering quality service rendering for the development of the country.
According to Ekeh, (1989), Federal character principle has become a problem instead of solution to problems it was expected to tackle. Bodunrin, (2003), also in assessing the Federal Character from the merit perspective, asserts that the federal character principle is counter-productive. Therefore it is important to note that, efficient manpower utilization is determined through effective credible employment. But Idumange (2008) specifically lists two areas where the Federal government has been most successful in implementing the federal character principle; The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and employment into the Armed Forces. Thus, this ensures Nigerians get their own share of the ‘national cake’ rather than agitations which has prevented another civil war in the country.
The main focus of this research project is the Akwa Ibom State Civil Service. The Civil Service is a body without which the business of government would be impossible to operate. The role of the civil servant is so vital that such personnel is expected to be productive, progressive and enterprising; hence the need to employ well educated, skilled and experienced people. But for political reasons, the Federal Civil Service now combines the administrative ethics of merit and political doctrine of federal character as a recruitment policy because of the need for a representative bureaucracy.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
There are many cases going on in Nigeria that the federal character principle has been unjustly implemented. Also the annual reports from the publications of the federal character commission shows that a lot of complaint arise as a result of breach of federal character principles by some establishments for example in the federal character monitor, a quarterly publication of the commission (2008) accused and summoned the Nigeria communication commission over breach of federal character principles.
More so, the inefficiency of the policy in recruiting manpower potentials into the organization and the selection of employees which is not based on merit but the federal character principles are some of the problems that affect the efficient performance of the Nigerian civil service. Furthermore, the poor performance of employee’s discovered by the President Olusegun Obasanjo led administration was traced to poor manpower utilization and poor quality of civil servants, also testify to this weakness.
In order to drive the implementation of the federal character principle, the Federal Character Commission (FCC) was established by decree 3 of 1996, and the powers of the commission was summarized by Mustapha (2007) to include: working out formula for sharing posts and services; compliance monitoring; enforcement and compliance through legal actions; demanding and reviewing data on staffing; and institutional investigations. The FCC is a commission under the presidency; its members are appointed by the president, but subject to the ratification of the Nigerian Senate. To ensure equity its representation, the law establishing the commission states that the executive chairman and secretary are to be appointed in such a way that if the chairman comes from the North, the secretary must be chosen from the South and vice versa. However, Nzeshi, (2012), argues that “since its establishment, the Federal Character Commission has been headed mostly by Northerners,” which is not in line with the laws binding the commission.
The federal character principle in Akwa Ibom State and every other state that own federal institutions indeed does not put into practice the principles. In the case of University of Uyo, the indigenes will continue to dominate or have upper-hand in the admission quota. The federal character principles were used as a unifying factor or institution of the various ethnic groups in the country, and it was also adopted to encourage unity in diversity and integration of the ethnic groups without much prejudice.
Resources control and allocation are an integral part of federal character. But for Nigeria, stiff disagreements, regional, economic and political power game and controversies over the control and allocation have characterized and negatively affect the success of its federal character principle. Recruitment in Akwa Ibom State civil service is strategic and must be followed by merit, efficiency, Justice, effectiveness and equity and ensure political stability and fairness in distribution of resources among the ethnic groups based on the federal character principle but in some cases, it is not so. Most of the recruitments done in the state are no more based on merit but on ‘who knows who’. Thus, in view of the above problems, the need to analyze employment process in government establishments is strategic and must be structured properly.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The general objective of this study is to investigate Federal Character Principle and employment in Nigeria via Akwa Ibom State Civil Service. More specifically, the study seeks to:
examine the relationship between federal character principle and employment in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service;
identify the effectiveness and efficiency of the federal character principle in the employment of personnel into Akwa Ibom State Civil Service;
identify probable problems in the application of the federal character principle on the employment of personnel into Akwa Ibom State Civil Service; and
examine the overall implications of federal character principle on the employment exercise in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service.
1.4 Research Questions
The basic questions that this research attempts to answer are:
What is the relationship between federal character and employment in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service?
How efficient and effective is the federal character principle in the employment of personnel into Akwa Ibom State Civil Service?
What are the probable problems in the application of the federal character principle in the employment exercise of Akwa Ibom State Civil Service?
What are the overall implications of federal character principle on employment exercise at Akwa Ibom State Civil Service?
