Corruption in the Civil Service: The dearth of effective service delivery

Abstract

The paper discussed the origin of the Nigerian Civil Service and the consequences of corruption that has crippled the service in the recent times. The paper was of the opinion that today’s Civil Service in Nigeria is a carryover of the British imperialist administrative structure. The paper stated that the reasons for the corrupt civil service which in turn has given room to ineffective service delivery are the weak institutional structures, cumbersome administrative procedure, negative attitude of the civil servants to work and individuals’ insatiable appetite for wealth at all cost. The paper discovered that the culture of accountability and ethical behaviour which the service was known for has been thrown overboard. Finally, the paper concluded by suggesting ways forward which include bridging the gap in the remuneration of public and civil servants, enabling civil servants benefit in the monetization process, proper and constant reforms, training of the civil servants on civil service rules and holding culpable corrupt civil servants.

Keyword: Corruption, Lack of accountability, Poor service delivery and cumbersome administrative procedure in the civil service