Ethnicity and Bureaucracy in Nigerian
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www.idosr.org Egwu International Digital Organization for Scientific Research ISSN: 2579-0765 IDOSR JOURNAL OF CURRENT ISSUES IN SOCIAL SCIENCES 4(1): 160-175, 2018. Ethnicity and Bureaucracy in Nigeria: Impact on Politics and Governance Egwu Joy Ucha Department of Political Science Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki. Nigeria. ABSTRACT Recruitments into Nigerian Public Organisations are influenced by ethnicity which according to Blunt (1986) is a lubricant which enhances bureaucratic development rather than an irritant to organizations. The paper studied two universities Ebonyi State University and University of Nigeria, Nsukka as formal organizations to determine if ethnicity influenced recruitment also. Methodologically, EBSU and UNN were used as case studies. The study employed qualitative technique of data analysis because of the nature of the study. Two hypotheses were tested, (1) Ethnicity influences recruitment into Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki and the university of Nigeria, Nsukka (2) Ethnic factors promote bureaucratic effectiveness in EBSU and UNN. Findings are, Ethnicity influences recruitment in EBSU and UNN. There is allegiance of staff to the Chief Executive and the organizations. It also enhances efficiency and effectiveness in the universities. Finally, ethnicity is a lubricant not an irritant to bureaucracy. Recommendation, is that rather than throwing away the concept of ethnic group relations we should carefully examine the positive roles it plays in Nigerian bureaucracy. As a matter of policy Chief Executive officer should be recruited in rotational order. Key Words: Recruitment, Ethnicity, Bureaucracy, Effectiveness, Lubricant and Irritant. INTRODUCTION In the pre-colonial era, Africa was one hand those who argue that characterized by communal life, a bureaucracy devoid of ethnic group traditional society based on ethnic conflicts, tensions and tendencies as relations. She also had her own model of produced in Europe and America will lead public administration. Following the to effectiveness and efficiency [1] [2]. On colonization and amalgamation of Nigeria the other hand, there are those who argue in 1914 by Lord Lugard, the introduction that bureaucracy in Africa cannot operate of Western based model of public in a vacuum without recognizing and administration called bureaucracy, led to adapting to the existing ethnic and the development of discrimination in cultural relations in Africa for them to recruitment: a tendency that aroused achieve relevance and effectiveness [3] tension and conflict because it came to [4]. condemn the existing Nigerian model and Theoretically, Western societies and their practices of ethnicity. When the model of relations are characterized by colonialists came with bureaucracy, impersonality and anonymity; [5], ethnicity was largely uprooted and sub whereas in Africa or indeed Nigeria, the planted with their own cultural model of relationship is characterized by administrative system. This Western personalization, "man-know-man", bureaucracy made little or no impact or "parapo"; [6]. Consequently, the study fundamental change to society as it did in investigates the extent the Western model Europe. This is because the colonialist of public bureaucracy remains an administrative system met a rock referred appropriate model of public organisations to in this paper as ethnic group or ethnic in Nigeria. This is because the Western group relations. model fails to recognize the existing The paper focuses on two major strands culture and ethnic groups and of debate in the literature. There is on the foundations of Nigeria. It also failed to 160 IDOSR JOURNAL OF CURRENT ISSUES IN SOCIAL SCIENCES 4(1): 160-175, 2018. www.idosr.org Egwu enculturise and indigenize African University, Abakaliki (EBSU) and indeed administration and as well failed to seek any other organization within the Igbo to incorporate the existing ethnic group nation. conditions in Nigeria in order to succeed. In these two universities there exists an However, the study notes that the intra-ethnic problem where recruitment bureaucracy of Weber was also built on may still be based on discrimination as the foundation of cultural orientations in people look forward to knowing the Vice existence in the society he was born into. Chancellor, and other principal officers Nigeria was until the late 1960s divided who are indigenes of their ethnic into three major ethnic groups and these communities to be recruited into such three major groups were dominating more existing organizations. At the University than 250 other minority ethnic groups of Nigeria Nsukka, since I960, the pattern that have been agitating since the post of distribution of principal officers and independent era against discrimination on their recruitment which favours particular recruitment within the Nigerian people speaks of discrimination in bureaucratic set up. This also led to fear recruitment. of ethnic domination and discrimination The same condition repeats itself in by these three majority ethnic groups. For Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki; where example, the agitation by the minority in the past 20 years, because of the elements such as Isaac Adaka Boro from pattern of recruitment of the principal the present Niger Delta and Joseph Tarka officers, majority of staff have come from from the present North-Central geo- the extraction of these principal officers. political zones, led General Gowon in This is because, Ebonyi State has three May, 29th 1967 to create a 12 state major Senatorial Zones having the structure out of the three regions. This following major ethnic extractions, Ikwo was done to force the existing and Ezza are in Ebonyi Central, Afikpo, bureaucracy to recognize the existing Edda and Ohaozara are of Ebonyi South multiethnic and cultural groups that were and finally, Izzi and Ohaukwu are from not recognized before. Today, in Ebonyi North extractions. furtherance of this process of making the The thrust of the study, therefore, is to existing bureaucracy to recognize all establish the extent to which public ethnic groups practically, Nigeria now has bureaucracy is an effective mechanism in 36 states and 774 Local Governments. solving the problems of modern Also, because of the same fear of organizations in Nigeria especially as it discrimination and domination, the relates to ethnicity and recruitment in the Constitution came up with a model of Nigerian university system. Federal administration “called Federal Statement of the Problem Character”, “Catchment Area”, “Quota The risk of ethnicity and other forms of System”, and “Geographical Spread” to identity in recruitment into bureaucracy make every ethnic group have a sense of has been a subject of interest among belonging, (Federal Republic of Nigerian scholars. Constitution, 1979). For example, [7] posits that every organization is recruitment at federal and state levels or formed for the purpose of achieving goals even at the Local Government levels must and development. That is why studies reflect this model. such as [8], [9], [10] buttress that, The discussion of ethnic group relations Nigerian organizations or bureaucracy can at the National level, as well speaks of be effective and develop, if the culture inter-ethnic group relations. However, and pluralistic ethnicity of Nigeria are within any ethnic group like the Igbos, carefully considered to reduce there exists internal acrimony, tensions, discrimination in recruitment into the conflicts and contradictions which must organizations. be resolved within the bureaucratic Before the 1979 Constitution, the problem organizations such as the University of in the country had been how to Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and Ebonyi State accommodate the minorities or every 161 IDOSR JOURNAL OF CURRENT ISSUES IN SOCIAL SCIENCES 4(1): 160-175, 2018. www.idosr.org Egwu ethnic group, [11]. But over the years even 1. Does ethnicity influence before the 1979 Constitution, ethnicity recruitment into Ebonyi State had gradually crept into the Nigerian University and the University of bureaucracy. For instance, some Nigeria, Nsukka? organizations in the 1950s and 1960s 2. Does the ethnic factor enhance the such as Nigeria Railway Corporation and effectiveness of the University PHCN were traditionally headed by people bureaucracy? from certain ethnic groups. Consequently, Objectives of the Study their recruitment patterns reflected the The broad objective of this -study is to employment of people more from their determine the role of ethnicity in ethnic groups and relations thereby recruitment into Nigerian bureaucracy increasing discrimination and tension in using Ebonyi State University and the society against some ethnic groups. University of Nigeria as case studies. The Although scholars as mentioned above specific objectives are as follows: have commented on the role of ethnicity 1. To determine whether ethnicity or in recruitment into Nigerian bureaucracy, ethnic group identity influence none focused on the university system staff recruitment in Ebonyi State and in particular on the University of University and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; and Ebonyi State Nigeria, Nsukka. University. There is, therefore, a gap in 2. To ascertain whether ethnicity literature that needs to be filled. This enhances bureaucratic paper intends to fill the gap in literature. effectiveness using Ebonyi State It aims primarily at providing answers to University and the University of the following research questions: Nigeria Nsukka as comparative