1.0 Introduction
The Nigeria civil service is made up of people from different ethnic group with diverse tradition, culture, tongues and social norms and values. These differences in culture, tribe and tongue in the civil service has true meaning when we look at some of the issues affecting the effective performance of the civil services in the country.
There are always noticeable conflicts in the Nigeria civil services arising from political structure and arrangement, class conflict, which dwell on recruitment and employment, which do favour some particular social cultural and political group.
Manpower development and training is always a political affair in the civil services. One of the major ways civil service invests in their work force for greater nation today and even future is through the training and development of their employer.
Training is like sharpening of an existing skill in order to reflect the trend in technology and other socio cultural environment of an organization. The major object of training and development is to increase the efficiency of the employees with the resulting increase in corporate productivity.
The civil service, training and manpower development are always a political matter. Some may be trained locally while the favoured ones would be trained overseas.
Promotions and elevation mostly to highly exacted position due receive some political consideration while such exercise is always spread to cut across ethnic barrier. No matter how efficient and effective some particular ethnics may be in a particular ministry in organization all of them would not be promoted to the detriment of others.
Other social consideration do crisis in the civil services such as favoritism, religion group and some other social interest which always received some attacks in the civil services.
1.1 Background of the Study
Abia state was carved out from Imo state in the year 1991, by then military government of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. Upon the creation of the state, then nascent state formed its state civil service commission with its accompanied ministry and agencies,under the ministries such ministry include; Education, Finance, Agriculture, Information, Local government affairs, just to mention but a few.
The entire personnel and staff recruited in the various position are mainly from Abia state origin, they are three senatorial zones in the state, namely; Abia North, Abia South and Abia Central. These various personnel from the ministry have different traditions, norms and values. These are always socio political conflict that always causes ineffectiveness in the efficient and effective handling of various issues.
However, the Abia state civil service has been headed by many, right from its creation in 1991. It is recently headed by Chief Mr. Godson. C. Adiele. It has it's headquarter in Umuahia been the state capital. Its office is located at No. 10 School road, Umuahia North. Its primary function is to initiate policies and programmes, advisors to political heads, implementation of public policies, financial management and finally to ensure continuity of Government.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
There is always the problem in study of this kind, which does permit us to look at the possible way of overcoming them.
There is always the problem of determining the extent of political conflict in the civil service because permanent secretaries and head of department are not permanent position, because human being has different characteristics while there is a greater degree of conflict in one ministry or government agency, another might have little or no socio-political conflicts.
The issue of societal norms and values as well as culture may be a hindrance to elevating some people to certain position, this stern from the fact that social and cultural diversity affects the participation to some social events in the country.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The objectives of our study are as follows
- To determine the impact of socio-political conflict on the effectiveness of the Nigeria civil services
- To criticize constructively some socio-political difference in the civil services that do affects its performance.
- To consider some bottlenecks, hindrances and obstacles arising from socio political consideration, those that do make the civil service from effective performance of its statutory functions.
- To appraise the performance of the Nigeria civil services in the face of the presence of socio-political conflict.
- To suggest possible remedies and solutions that would be of help to correct some of those issues.
1.4 Theoretical Framework
This theory is guided by the functionalist perspective, also called “Functionalism theory”. It has its origin in the work of Emile Durkheim, who was especially interested in how social order is or how society remains relatively stable.
Functionalism interprets each part of society, in terms of how it contributes to the stability of the whole society. Society is more than the sum of its parts; rather, each part of society is functional for the stability of the whole society. From this perspective, disorganization in the system, such as deviant behaviors (culture, class, norms etc) leads to change, because societal components must adjust to achieve stability. When one part of the system is not working or is dysfunctional, it affects all other parts and thus, creates social problems, which leads to conflicts (socio- political, economic e.t.c).
Obe (1972) explained that conflicts are a violent collusion, a struggle or contest. This explained to us that the conflict we are deliberating on is struggle or disagreement in the civil service over issues of paramount importance that always affects the effectiveness of the civil service.
1.5 Significance of the Study
The study on the topic under our investigation is quite significance to us, for it will enables us to have indebt understanding on the issues involved in the civil service and office politics in the civil service. It will expose to the mind of many on some of the socio-political wrangling that do occur in the civil service and dispute effective performance in the ministry. The study will be the basic for further studies on the issue involved in the civil service and the socio-political conflicts that do arise thereof.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study of data collection and analysis of the scope of this study centers on the conflicts in the civil service whether it is socio-political, economical or cultures and its impact in the effective management of the civil service.
1.7 Limitation of the Study
The study has some limitations and hindrances, which tries to limit our effort in carrying out this research work.
There was problem in knowing the fundamental cause of most conflicts in the civil service whether socio-political or economic.
The problem of knowing exactly the socio political problems from one ministry to the others which we observed has its fundamental cause on ethnic background, religious and cultural difference.
1.8 Definitions of Terms
Conflict:
This is said to be the breakdown in the normal activities of an organization in such a manner that the individual or groups involved experiences disharmony in working together.
Tribalism:
It can be defined as the discrimination against a citizen because of his birth.
Tradition:
This is the passing of belief and custom from one generation to the next.
Civil / Public Service:
According to 1999 constitution defined the civil service as the service of the federation or state in a civil capacity as staff in the ministry or department of government assigned with the responsibility of any business of the government.
It also the service of federation or state in ministry or department based on appointment by the civil service commission while public service can be defined as the service of the federation or state government which it includes the national or state assembly, staff of the judiciary, any commission established by the constitution or by national or state assembly or cooperation educational institution, staff or companies where government or it is a agencies own the controlling interest.
It can also be defined as the service where federal, state or local government has an interest or where their presence is fact.
Promotion:
This is the process of raising somebody in a higher position.
