BUREAUCRACY AND EFFICIENCY IN NIGERIA PUBLIC SERVICE

1.1 Introduction

Bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials a government or organization who implements the rules, laws, and functions of their institution (Garston, 2006). Bureaucracy is characterized by hierarchical organization, delineated lines of authority in a fixed area of activity, action taken on the basis of and recorded in written rules, bureaucratic officials need expert training, rules are implemented by neutral officials, and career advancement depends on technical qualifications judged by organization, not individuals (Swedberg et al., 2005). Man has been cooperatively organized as a group to work towards a directed goal in a directive manner since the existence of this world. However, the prevalence of complex bureaucracy is believed to be the structural frame work in our recent organization.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

Bureaucratic organization is guided and pirated in man's bid to perfect and actualize through socio-economic and actualize himself through socio-economic development that any impediment to their efficient operations should be criticized seriously. However, bureaucracy is presupposed to provide the frame for the attainment of organizational efficiency, but contrarily in as it grew in Nigeria public service, it came to acquire opprobrious meaning and remark, and also odious connotation, it is therefore in recognition of the need for a sound virile and efficient public bureaucracy that the researcher investigated into the remote cause of bureaucratic inefficiency in the country's public service.

The case study of the project is the ministry of public utilities and rural development, Owerri. This ministry was created on July, 1999, with the policy thrust of providing safe and sustainable water supply adequate power/energy to urban and rural communities and facilitates community mobilization for self help development project. The policy thrust of the ministry is implemented through; rural electricity, provision of water to urban, semi urban and rural communities, rural road (feeder) rehabilitation, inspection of on-going community initiated project for government counterpart funding, rural telecommunications, water resources management development, pre-investment studies of hydrogical surveys and geological surveys, maintenance of reticulated water system in public building, coordination of all external technical assistance programmes and liaising with the appropriate agencies, and water quality management and pollution control and water borehole licensing and control.

Basically on the structure of the ministry, it has statutory body, a commissioner, permanent secretary, eight departments which include department of administration accounts, planning research and statistics, electrical/service department, community development department, water service department, dam and irrigation department, hydrology/hydrogeology department.

The ministry of public utilities has two parasatals namely: Imo state water development agency (IWDA) and Imo state water corporation as the time of creation of this ministry in 1999, the officers were held as follows;

1. Raph Nwosu - Hon. Commissioner
2. Prince Fan. A. Osuala - Permanent secretary
3. B. Uwaeziozi - Director water services
4. L.A. Onwuneme (JP) - Director of Administration
5. F.A Akucjie - Director Electrical services
6. B.I. Uwanda Uzoma - Director of hydrology
7. R. C. Akanga (KSC) - Director of dam irrigation
8. R.O. Udeh - Director planning Research and statistics.
9. M.U. Okoro - Director of accounts.

Bureaucratic efficiency could be achieved through adherence to administrative ethics. It is a state in which civil servants discharge their official duties in strict compliance with public laws and regulations and in keeping with public will.

Therefore, in Ministry of Public Utility Imo State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Bureaucracy and Efficiency in Nigeria Public Service.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Bureaucracy inefficiency has posed a lot of challenged and serious concern for all in public service concern for all in public service. As bureaucracy grew in the public service, it poses a problem because the existence of bureaucracy can diversely affect the smooth functioning of an organization. The problem lies on the fact that bureaucracy is associated with inefficiency, lack of initiative, unintelligent rigidity in the approach to human problems, undue business and bossiness on the part of officials and downright stubbornness. It is these undesirable and regrettable tendencies of bureaucracy that members of the public cry out against.

Therefore, the problem addressed in this research work anchors on the following;

1. Bureaucracy distorts the smooth functioning of an organization.
2. It adversely affects efficient delivery of public goods and services.
3. Bureaucracy promotes red-tapism, rigidity and inefficiency.
4. It reduces productivity.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the Bureaucracy and Efficiency in Nigeria Public Service using Ministry of Public Utility Imo State as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To find out the extent to which bureaucracy have undermined the smooth, effective and efficient operation of Nigerian public enterprises.
2. To identify the causes of bureaucratic bottlenecks in the country's public service.
3. To elucidate the concept of bureaucracy.
4. To investigate the bureaucratic problem in Nigerian public enterprises,
5. To investigate the effects of bureaucratic problem and possible ways of eradication the problems to ensure virile, sound and efficient and sustainable public bureaucracy.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Could it be possible for Nigerian's public administration or public service to survive without bureaucratic bottleneck?
• Has the government of Nigeria made any serious effort towards eradicating bureaucratic inefficiency in the public administration?
• Is there any bureaucratic problem affecting the Nigerian public enterprises?
• To what extent does bureaucracy have undermined the smooth, effective and efficient operation of Nigerian public enterprises?
• What are the causes of bureaucratic bottlenecks in the country's public service?
• What do you understand by the concept of bureaucracy?
• What are the effects of bureaucratic problem and possible ways of eradication the problems to ensure virile, sound and efficient and sustainable public bureaucracy?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: Government of Nigeria has not made any serious effort towards eradicating bureaucratic inefficiency in the public administration
• H1: Government of Nigeria has made a serious effort towards eradicating bureaucratic inefficiency in the public administration

Hypothesis Two

• H0: There is no significant bureaucratic problem affecting the Nigerian public enterprises
• H1: There is a significant bureaucratic problem affecting the Nigerian public enterprises

1.7 Significance of Study

Significance of the study defines the relative contribution and benefits of this study to the public administrators and researchers if successfully carried out. However, this study will be of great significance in the following ways;

1. The findings of this study shall be of immense benefits to administrators and managers in correcting the flaws inherent in a bureaucratic set up.
2. It will also help organizations in boosting productivity.
3. It will useful to public enterprises and other corporate bodies if they adopt the findings and recommendations provided in the work, when making policies or decisions.
4. It will also aid the government and organizations to avoid bureaucracy bottlenecks, red-tapism and nonchalant attitude of public servants.

Academically, this study or research work will contribute to the stock knowledge and stimulate further research into the subject matter by students, and other researchers in the field of administration, management and social sciences.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Bureaucracy and Efficiency in Nigeria Public Service using Ministry of Public Utility Imo State as a case study.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
3. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
4. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
5. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

1.10 Definition of Terms

In this study, the researcher is operating with certain concepts which may not be familiar to the readers. For better intuition and understanding of the terms and concept used, an operational definition is given below;

Bureaucracy: This is a system or organization and management in which roles task and relationship among people and position are clearly defined, carefully prescribed and controlled in accordance with formal authority. It characterized by strict adherence to rules and regulation, a systematic division of labour, hierarchical structures, records keeping and impersonality relationship.

Public Service: This refers to all public institutions that implement public policy, comprising the civil service, public enterprises, legislatives, local government system etc.

Public Utilities: This refers to special kind of public enterprises devoted mainly to the provision of essential public service such as electricity, pipe borne water, etc for both domestic and commercial consumption.

Public Enterprises: These are organizations set up as corporate bodies and as part of the government apparatus for an entrepreneurial or entrepreneurial like objectives.

Red-Tapism: This has to do with excessive use of formalities and strict adherence to rules in public business which shows down actions.

Public Administration: This deals with how the activities of government are carried out as well as the institution (such as ministries, and extra-ministerial department) procedures and processes involved in translating public policies in action.