Science Park Journals Vol. 5(6), pp. 241-259, September 2019 ISSN 2315-5396 Scientific Research DOI: 10.14412/SRI2019.259 and Impact Copyright© 2019 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article Available online at http://www.scienceparkjournals.org/SRI Full Length Research Paper THE PLATEAU STATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE COMMISSION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE, 1999-2011 Peter Wilfred Naankiel Department of History and International Studies, Federal University Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Corresponding Author Email:[email protected] ABSTRACT: The importance of public institutions in the lives of people in Nigeria since independence cannot be over emphasized. Their roles in development across the three tiers of government have made them come within the domain of public discourse especially with regards to their viability and efficiency in service delivery to the Nigerian citizenry. This has also been same for the Plateau State Local Government Service Commission. Therefore, as a result of this concern, this study examined and analyzed how the Plateau State Local Government Service Commission has been able to provide service delivery at the Third Tier of government in Plateau State within the period under study. Besides, the study also examined the impact the Commission has made on the career of civil servants at the Local Government level in the State. The study used a multi-disciplinary approach where primary and secondary sources of data were used for making analysis. Hence, the study is significant to the extent that it examined and analyzed the mandate, impacts and challenges of the Local Government Service Commission in Plateau State within the period under study. The study observed that the Commission has been bedeviled by challenges such as corruption, indiscipline and politicization of the service amongst others. As a result of these, the study recommended the need for staff members to change their attitude to work and also the need for the Plateau State Local Government Service Commission to quarterly engage the services of external auditors to check on the staff payroll list in order to ensure that only the right people are being paid instead of fictitious ones amongst others. KEYWORDS: Civil Service, Civil Servants, Local Government, Commission, Service Delivery Author(s) agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Peter Wilfred Naankiel 242. INTRODUCTION Public institutions have right from the colonial period up to the independent era and even in contemporary times played diverse roles in the lives of people in Nigeria. However, these public institutions have come within the domain of public discourse in terms of their efficiency and proficiency in service delivery to the generality of the Nigerian masses. This has also been same for the Plateau State Local Government Service Commission. Thus, arising from the above concern, the study examines and analyses how the Local Government Service Commission in Plateau State has been able to actualise and fulfil service delivery as the Third Tier of Government in Plateau State. What impacts has the Commission been able to make on the career of civil servants as the third tier in Plateau State? It should be borne in mind that Local Government Administration in Nigeria has attracted serious attention nationally since the Local Government reform of 1976.1 This tier of government is the closest to the people, yet the people at the tier are denied the benefits of its existence. The failure of local government in the aspect of service delivery over the years has left much to be desired in terms of meeting the target of service delivery to the people.2 Clearly, the Plateau State Local Government Service Commission’s strictness to the application of the Civil Service Rules and its statutory mandate could be responsible for the poor service delivery and the people’s inability to fully benefit from the Third Tier of administration in Plateau State. However, the importance and necessity of the Civil Service to nation building and implementation of government policies have been captured thus; A strong political leadership needs neutral, efficient, honest civil service. Officers must be recruited and promoted completely on merit. They have to share the same nation-building philosophy and development goals of the political leaders. They must be adequately paid so that temptations will not be difficult to resist .An impartial, capable Public Service Commission has to be shrewd at assessing character. Appointments, Awards of Scholarships must be made to the best candidates. The need for an honest and upright Civil Service backed up by neutrality and efficiency of productivity are the cardinal live wires of nation building and full implementation of government policies. However, for this to be achieved, the Commission saddled with the responsibility of coordinating the affairs of Civil Servants must ensure that transparency is its watch ward in terms of appointments and award of scholarships e.t.c. It is against this background that the study situates the discourse on the study of the Plateau State Local Government Service Commission and its impact on the development of the state within the period under review. 243. Sci. Res. Impact THE EMERGENCE OF THE PLATEAU STATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE COMMISSION At this point, the study as matter of expedient turns its attention to the emergence of the Local Government Service Commission in Plateau State which has over the years served as a fulcrum in the operations of the Local Government system in the country and Plateau State in particular. The Dasuki Report of 1976 marked a milestone in the development of local government administration in Nigeria. The then military government after studying the report, embarked on an extensive local government reform with the view to having an effective local government system that is nearer to the people and ensuring their participation in government process.4 The report recommended among other things that there should be a Local Government Council which would operate through a uniform single tier local government structure all over the country. Also, the report further recommended the establishment of Local Government Service Board, charged with the responsibility for recruiting, posting, promoting and discipline of senior staff (unified staff) in the local government.5The philosophy behind the establishment of the Board was to attract the right calibre of professionals into the local government administration which hitherto was non-existent. Also, the Commission (Board) was to ensure that career staff are insulated from undue partisan politics, hence developing a career pattern and progression in the service as spelt out in the scheme of service. The Plateau State Local Government Service Commission was established through the Plateau State Edict No. 4 1987, hence it derives its power and functions from this edict.7An informant corroborated this view that the Plateau State Local Government in spite of its coming into being through an edict in 1987 has its roots and origin from the 1976 Local Government Reform carried out by the federal government.8 Prior to the creation of Nassarawa State in 1996 by the Late General Sani Abacha regime, civil servants under the then Plateau State Local Government Service Commission encompassed all the Local Government Areas that made up the Old Plateau State before the 1996 separation of the two areas.9Currently, civil servants at this tier of administration in Plateau State encompass the 17 Local Government Areas (L.G.A’s). These local government areas are Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Bokkos, Jos East, Jos North, Jos South, Kanam, Kanke and Langtang North. Others include Langtang South, Mangu, Mikang, Pankshin, Quan Pan, Riyom, Shendam and Wase. Peter Wilfred Naankiel 244. The staff strength for all these L.G.A’s as at December 2011 is put at 19,628. This number is comprised of 7,849 unified staff, 9 non indigenes and 11,770 delegated staff.11Unified staff is composed of senior staff in the senior cadre while delegated staff comprises of junior staff in the junior cadre. A summary of unified and delegated staff across the 17 L.G.A’s indicates that Barkin Ladi has 978 staff, Bassa 1008, Bokkos 1455, Jos East 1076, Jos North 1948, Jos South 865, Kanam 1049, Kanke 904, Langtang North 1259 and Langtang South 1335. Others are Mangu 1105, Mikang 1282, Pankshin 963, Quan Pan 952, Riyom 1063, Shendam 1133 and Wase 1256 staff. FUNCTIONS OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE COMMISSION IN PLATEAU STATE The functions of the Local Government Service Commission are as stipulated in the Edict establishing it. Hence, the Local Government Service Commission is saddled with certain basic functions it is expected to carry out in order to ensure the smooth administration of Civil Servants (staff) at the third tier of government. In the end, it is also expected to ensure effective service delivery to people in the rural areas (third tier of Government). Edict No. 4 sub-section 5:2 of 1987 clearly spells out the functions of the Plateau State Local Government Service Commission as follows; (i) Recruitment of qualified persons to vacant positions in the Local Government unified service. (ii) Promotion and advancement of all unified Local Government staff. (iii) Training and Manpower development (iv) Serving as appellant or review body for all petitions from staff in the Local Government Service. (v) Approving of cases of conversions, change of inter-service transfer and secondment. (vi) Handling of disciplinary cases. (vii) Approving of retirement from the Local Government Service and withdrawal of service of both delegated and unified staff. (viii) Appointment of key functionaries in the unified service to the positions of Directors/Deputy Directors, Land Officers, Revenue Officers, Cashiers and Internal Auditors.