AWKA/Nigeria: The recent disclosure by the Federal Civil Service Commission that over 6,500 workers failed the 2023 promotion exam has sounded an alarm on the state of the federal and state civil services.
Public administration expert Mr. IfeanyiChukwu Afuba reacted to the news, describing it as an urgent call to enhance the capacity of governmental administrative organs for effective service delivery. Afuba emphasized that a country’s development hinges on the ability of government machinery to implement public policies and programs efficiently.
He argued that the current competence challenge cannot be resolved solely by the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria. Afuba traced the issue to the poor quality of graduates, exacerbated by the youth’s addiction to superficial content on social media. He advocated for continuous education programs across various civil service cadres, stressing that human resource evaluations should not be limited to promotion intervals. Additionally, he called on federal and state governments to ensure each ministry is equipped with a well-stocked library.
As Director of the Public Administration Circle in Awka, Afuba noted that while past civil service reforms attempted to address these shortcomings, the problems persist and evolve over time. He highlighted the need for a blend of political offices and statutory departments to achieve cohesion within government machinery under the current democratic framework.
Afuba urged the replacement of unhealthy rivalry between political appointees and civil service leadership with cooperation and joint undertakings to optimize results. He warned that an unwieldy civil service would stretch its manpower thin and lose focus, supporting calls for the rationalization of redundant commissions, parastatals, and agencies as recommended by the 2012 Stephen Orosanye Report.
In conclusion, Afuba advocated for the adoption of modern management practices and policy monitoring mechanisms to improve the performance of the bureaucracy.
