Federal Character Principle and Quota System in Nigeria: A Critical Assessment of the Recruitment Exercise in the Public Service

Federal Character Principle and Quota System in Nigeria: A Critical Assessment of the Recruitment Exercise in the Public Service.

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this research work was to examine the Federal Character Principle and Quota System in Nigeria and its relationship with the recruitment exercise in the public service.

This was prompted by the fact that there is growing disenchantment in some quarters about the implementation of the federal character principle and quota system.

Which they believe leads to the violation of the merit principle and lowering of standards in the recruitment of personnel into the public service which will serve as a way of recruiting and promoting less competent staff into the service resulting inevitably in poor performance.

Therefore, the research recommended that the application of a merit system or meritocracy should become the Linchpin in the recruitment of personnel into the Nigerian public service in order not to endanger standards and professionalism.

It was also recommended that there is the need to strike a balance between the application of federal character principle, quota system, and the Merit principle in order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the service, and for equity, unity, and Fairplay to prevail in the country.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE – – – – – – – – – i
CERTIFICATION – – – – – – – – ii
DEDICATION – – – – – – – – – iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT – – – – – – – iv
TABLE OF CONTENT – – – – – – – v
ABSTRACT – – – – – – – – – vi

CHAPTER ONE: GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY – – – – – 1
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM – – – – – 3
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS – – – – – – 4
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY – – – – – 4
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES – – – – – – 5
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY – – – – – 5
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY – – – – – – 6
1.8 SCHEME OF CHAPTERS – – – – – – 7
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERM – – – – – – 7
REFERENCE – – – – – – – – 10

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW – – – – – – 11
2.2 FEDERALISM AND FEDERAL STRUCTURE OF NIGERIA – 11
2.3. THE FEDERAL CHARACTER PRINCIPLE- – – – 13
2.4 THE QUOTA SYSTEM – – – – – – – 29
2.5 MERITOCRACY AND WORKABILITY OF THE FEDERAL CHARACTER PRINCIPLE — – 31
2.6 THE FEDERAL CHARACTER COMMISSION – – – 33
2.6.1. COMPOSITION AND POWER OF THE COMMISION – – 33
2.6.2 EXAMINATION OF THE POWER OF THE COMMISSION – 34
2.6.3 THE ENFORCEMENT POWER OF THE COMMISSION – 39
2.7. THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK – – – – – 41

REFERENCE – — -43

CHAPTERS: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 INTRODUCTION – – – – – – – – 46
3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN – – – – – – – 47
3.3 POPULATION OF THE STUDY – – – – – 47
3.4 SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUES – – – 48
3.5 SOURCE OF DATA COLLECTION – – – – – 48
3.6 INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION – – – 49
3.7 VALIDATION AND RELIABILITY OF INSTRUMENT – 49
3.8 METHOD OF ANALYSIS – – – – – – 49
3.9 TESTING OF HYPOTHESES – – – – – – 50
REFERENCES – – – – – – – – 51

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1 INTRODUCTION – – – – – – – – 52
4.2 SECTION A: PERSONAL DATA – – – – – 52
4.3 SECTION B: QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES – – – 55
4.4 TESTING OF HYPOTHESES – – – – – – 62

CHAPTER FIVE:

5.1 SUMMARY – – – – – – – – 68
5.2 CONCLUSION – – – – – – – – 69
5.3 RECOMMENDATION – – – – – – – 71
BIBLIOGRAPHY – – – – – – – – 73
APPENDIX – – – – – – – – – 77

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Study

Today in Nigeria the use of federal character and quota system has become an instrument for recruitment into federal, state, and local government civil service.

In most federal systems of government, the major issue is usually that of resource sharing among the federal units at the horizontal and vertical levels.

According to Elaigwu (1992) where the sharing arrangements are working well, there are fewer agitations and citizens have a feeling of belonging and equity.

On the other hand, where the is not working well the citizen agitates and makes all sorts of demands such as calls for national conferences, etc.

However, in Nigeria, after a series of debates in 1975 the constitutional drafting committee was set up which established the federal character commission as a body charged with the responsibility of implementing the federal character principle in order to ensure equitable sharing of posts in the public services.

This was also enshrined in the 1999 federal constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.

The federal character and quota system as enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria is to ensure equitable distributions of https://innaija.com.ng/current-projects/federal-character-principle-and-quota-system-in-nigeria-a-critical-assess/bureaucratic and political roles in the public service at federal, state, and local government levels.

The objectives of the policy are to foster national unity and give every Nigerian a sense of belonging in the country.

In support of this view Usman(2004;117) said that it was an effort to readdress the unbalanced structure and ethnic domination in government so that national integration could be achieved.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1999 Constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria.
Adebayo, A. (1989), Principles and Practice of Public Administration in Nigeria; Ibadan: spectrum books LTD
Akpan, Ntioyoung U. (1982), Public Administration in Nigeria; Lagos: Longman Nig. Plc.
Amadi .A (2008), Management of Public Enterprise and Co-operatives: A multi- Disciplinary Approach; Enugu: Agmasun publishers
Ayoade J.A. The federal character principle and the search for national integration. In : Amuwo.K, Agbaje .A, Suberu R.T; federalism and political restructuring in Nigeria. Ibadan; Spectrum:1989 p101-120
Beach, D.S (1975), Personnel: The Management of People at Works; New York: McMillan Publishing Company