02/10/2023
National Policy Dialogue On Public Service Ethics values and integrity in Nigeria–in Perspective.-Prof.Lamela L.Silas
key words: ethics , values, integrity, public service
Introduction
The conversations around Ethics and Ethical conducts, values and integrity in the public service, has over the years inundated the media, both print and TV as well as social media in Nigeria. It has remained a subject of deliberations at different fora: at workshops, seminars, training and campaigns and public functions with opinions expressed along conflicting and sometimes contradictory divide. some of the description of the role of civil servants in particular in promoting corruption being the highest level of unethical conduct defined in the service is found in the words of Goke Adegoroye, in his book titled Restoring Good Governance In Nigeria: The Civil Service Pathway said"…the focus had to be on the civil service because in the kitchen of public sector corruption , the civil servant is the cook that carefully selects all the ingredients and bakes them into an appetizing "cake" ; the steward that takes the ready product to the laps of the politicians; and the cleaner that ensures that any fall-out is so carefully tidied up that whosoever comes into government later would not see a sign that anyone had eaten anything therefrom".(2015,38).
It appears the more they discuss on the updated version of ethical misconduct trending ,( and as we all get deeply engrossed in the discussion proffering feasible solutions), the messier the succeeding case, defying all reasonable justifications. This premise goes to affirm the fears of stakeholders and promoters in the field of ethics, values and integrity, who, out of utter frustration, grimly concluded that, “the end of the tunnel remains dark still”.
To put the discussion in perspective it is necessary we define the terms in use for proper understanding of the subject matter of ethics values and integrity.
Ethics is defined as the basic concept and fundamental principle of decent conduct/rules of behavior based on ideas about is morally good or bad.
Values are our fundamental beliefs; the principles /rules we use to define and/or make decisions about right, good and unjust.
Integrity is defined as a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles expectations and outcomes(Wikipedia).
Frauds, corruptions and several other acts of gross misconduct, as defined by public service rules, litter both the civil service and the public service domain. unethical conducts such certificate scandals, fraudulent acts, outright theft to several other acts of gross misconduct including alleged NYSC certificate forgery remain unresolved over the years. Even some members of the National Assembly, our Presidents, present and former, are not spared the agony of certificate tales.
Recently, the case of Ms. Mmesoma Ejikeme and JAMB, since it came to the public realm, has remained a perpetually cited incident of the lowest level of unethical conduct committed by a 16 or rather 19 years old affirming the level of moral and ethical predicament our country has descended to. This, unfortunately, has polarize the country along ethnical and sectional divide as well as several other mundane considerations far above the prime of moral and ethical considerations. (I salute the courage of those that opted to side with ethics in that case including her state government).
While Conversations center mainly around the evil of that act with public desperately seeking ways out of such national predicament, suddenly with a heave of relief the attention of Nigerians was pleasantly drawn to the commendable and unprecedented act of the former governor of Ondo state, His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Gbenga Daniel who, for conscience sake, opted to have his pension suspended as former governor and now a serving senator representing Ondo west. He cannot be drawing from pension after retiring as well as draw accept another remuneration from the same government coffers.
This fundamental principle of transformational leadership demonstrated by His Excellency is primarily anchored on ethics, values integrity an ethical model worthy of emulation by leaders, captains of industries, technocrats and bureaucrats as well as managers at the helm of affairs and ordinary citizens alike, whether in the public or the private sector.
Good ethical conduct is naturally envisioned of Leaders who setting the tone at the top, resonates in the organization or nation at large. Ethics, once conceded at the top, consequentially divest the leader the moral rights to lead. That in itself creates an ethical dilemma occasioning trust deficit, ultimately social and moral anarchy in the system. We can say, therefore without equivocation, where there is No ethics, there is No leadership.
Let the press and the general public focus attention more on heartwarming reports on the likes of Gbenga Daniel, the police officer who refused to be bribed to compromise the public trust; the cleaner who returned lost but found dollars. this gives hope and inspiration to the next generation who are likely to operate under severe pressure and uncertainty capable of tempting them to compromise ethical values. This exemplary case of His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Gbenga Daniel, who cited good conscience as his basis for requesting the state to suspend his pension in the state are worthy of public applause and emulation by the youths, his contemporary, public servants in particular, and the general public as a whole.
It is saddening to observe how unashamedly polarized some enlighten few could be along myopic and worrisome definition of constitute good or evil good or bad conducts even when the issue involved is as clear as night and day to the utter neglect of the main issue on the table. I am, however, pleased to announce to you that it is not totally bad after all given the many unknown cases stocked in the archives of Nigerian history who belong to the army of the “unknown soldiers” celebrated but unidentified. Meanwhile, as a firm believer in the destiny of our nation I can see light at the end of the tunnel. All hope is not lost, if and only if the national dialogue as well as the campaign for ethical revolution is mounted, sustained and enhanced driven by the moral leaders entrusted with our collective destiny.
Please note the growing realization to step up the ethical conduct of particularly our public servants nationally as echoed by the public outcry and massive condemnation of unethical conduct anytime and anywhere it happens is instructive as the tsunami ethical rebirth building up can only be ignored to our peril as a nation. This, I consider, is a sign of national consensus for the promotion of ethics values and integrity in a country where, hitherto, is said to be a country where anything goes.
I insist on a National Policy dialogue/ discussions to initiate a re-engineering process of scrutinizing all options and exploit all avenues to promote ethics values and integrity through a homegrown solution. It is an earnest and urgent demand on us now moving forward. To set the ball rolling, a code of conduct training be organized for the ministers as a way of setting the tone at the top. We call for the re-introduction of a national dialogue and open discussions on how to implement practical initiatives toward promoting sound ethical principles values and integrity beyond rhetoric’s. This is in the spirit of moving our country forward. I am aware of and acknowledge several endeavor to do so under different auspices. that has moved us from where we were to now. Agencies such as the defunct MAMSER and NOA retain the mandate and should be re-enforced to fully deploy a machinery and move to site. our firm collective believe in the fundamental principle of ethics and its enthronement should sustain the energy and fire despite the challenges we may encounter. our value systems should be reviewed from time to time to bring new and improved standards of behavior to the fore in line with globally acceptable standards beginning with the public servants on the one hand and the Nigerian youth on the other. Public servants should be inspired to higher levels of ethical conducts in both public and private life by emotional intelligence of the type demonstrated by authentic leaders like gbenga daniel . The only ubiquitous legacy we can ever bequeath to the next generation is ethics values and integrity. no more no less or else we are doomed as a nation.
There must be an active role of federal state and local governments in the national dialogues as well as private sector and civil society group. Ethics promoted as a science of moral values and norm and as part of the process of national growth and development will go a long way to advance our human course. It is true that success stories of good ethical conduct awash the Nigerian landscape over the years and remains a reference point our predecessors recall with nostalgia, the re-modeled soft tool kits of moral suasion approach are required to enthrone ethics value and integrity as a deliberate and purposeful act. Where it becomes extremely necessary the hard and the soft alike should be deployed. enthroned ethics shall go a long way to restore the pride and prestige of the public service and by extension our beloved nations image abroad. Answers must be provided to specific questions such as to why and where we all got it wrong given the celebrated historic ethical conduct of the public sector in the 70s and 80s barely 10 to 20 years after independence. This will take us to the what and how to do a reverse engineering. The deterioration is so rapid for a growing nation like us with all the potentials to be great. The promotion of ethics, values and integrity will enable us command global respect for which we were hitherto known for in the committee of nations. This must be engrafted in the youth early enough to enable them catch the vision( now that we have opened up to them with the doctrine of not too young to rule). The crusade is an urgent national project that should take the Centre stage of our polity and pre occupy us now. The battle of enthroning ethics values and integrity is a war between the extreme right and extreme wrong. the media is indispensably in the forefront of this movement. the press should remove biases posture, detoxify itself from impunity, and roll their sleeves for action. The impotence or rather indifference of the society exhibited in our inability to create adequate instruments of ethics values and integrity and condemn unethical conduct our forefathers did even through lyrics poetry and poems be promoted as societal internal controls on unethical conducts. We should intensify public national debate about ethics citizenship and values. the inquisitional culture of the press should be sustained until new model of the state that will regulate ethical standards of the public service emerges and subsist.
the inadequate existing institutional controls should be to re-jigged to assist mount the crusade. This immediately calls for a well defined and enlarged institutions. and sufficient investment in education and awareness campaign. political patronage that has replaced merit and competence should be jettisoned. meritocracy ideas must be given its rightful place among men and women of integrity and high moral ethics. Please note that there are men of value out there!
The Head of Service must own the process by introducing ethics as a subject of discussion in all training calendar of all MDAs for the next four years. As a matter of emergency, Year 2024 should be declared as a year of ethics, ethical values and integrity campaign series in Nigeria, launched by our president-president Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The message on ethical policy and values should be very clear and unambiguous to all arms of government as no arm of government is spared the agony of unethical conduct. It should be free from legal norms and implementation encumbrances.
I am aware that all professional bodies have booklets on professional ethics although hardly invoked or enforced except to address too glaring cases. Channel of communication of society to government on complaints of ethical violation as whistleblowers should be defined and the whistle blower be protected. We must rethink tomorrow if tomorrow must be significantly different from today. prof. Gerald carden stated rather succinctly that “narrow mindedness is a luxury of the past”. now a broad shared vision of the future is necessary if mankind is to improve the condition… a different future requires a new thinking, new design, new capacities and new measures of performance”.
The celebrated case of former governor Gbenga Daniel in line with “the fifth schedule of the 1999 constitution was only a lone voice in the wilderness exercising his right of free conscience but has not broken any law if he has remained on the pension list of his state.( my apologies as I am not a constitutional lawyer) the part 1 (4) of the constitution states a public officer shall not, after retirement from public service and while receiving pension from public funds, accept more than one remuneration position as chairman, director or employees of. paragraph 11. In continuation of that provision,
Paragraph 14 said, in its application to public officers (a) members of legislative houses shall be exempt from the provision of paragraph (4) of this code; and (B) the National Assembly may by law exempt any cadre of public officers from the provisions of paragraph 4 and 11 of this code if it appears to it that their position in the public service is below the rank which it considers appropriate for the application of those provisions.
conclusion
His Excellency Sen. Dr. Gbenga Daniel could not quote any law to back his actions because he is shielded by law and so is all member of the National Assembly. This is to assist put the record straight as there was loud calls on the former governors in the NASS to follow suit. This however does not in any way suggest I am on their side .it is to say we can only change the narratives through a process including appealing to their consciences through ethical revolution and several others in similar privileges that cannot be taken away by law.
Religious and community leaders should lead the discus to stir up the conscience of the society to act in an ethical manner as custodians of public
trust.
The National Assembly should immediately sponsor a bill for the establishment of an agency for national ethics. In other jurisdictions office of ethics update the p***c on latest laws on ethics as part of annual briefing and reminders to the public.
Government should take time to update the public as part of the ethics program on the reviewed ethical laws all ethical misconducts conflict of interest nepotism and related laws and penalties of ethical infraction.
the highest law above all laws is the law of conscience . let us appeal to it , it will succumb.
Prof. Lamela L. Silas
Vice President Institute of leadership Assessment and Development Nigeria
ABUJA, Nigeria