RostrumNews
Nigeria’s public service occupies a critical position in the development and stability of the country. Public servants, whether at the federal, state, or local government level, are entrusted with responsibilities that directly affect the lives and welfare of millions of citizens.
Their decisions and actions influence education, healthcare, infrastructure, security, economic development and virtually every other aspect of national life. For this reason, patriotism should not merely be regarded as a desirable personal virtue among public servants; it should be their watchword.
To be patriotic as a public servant means placing the interests of the nation and the people above personal enrichment, political patronage, ethnic considerations and other narrow interests. It means understanding that a public office is a responsibility and not an opportunity for private accumulation.
A patriotic public servant should therefore approach his or her duties with integrity, diligence, accountability and a genuine commitment to improving the society. When these values become deeply rooted in the public service, government policies are more likely to translate into meaningful benefits for citizens.
Unfortunately, the effectiveness of public administration can be undermined when some individuals entrusted with public responsibilities deliberately abuse their positions. Acts such as corruption, embezzlement, diversion of public resources, favouritism, procurement manipulation and deliberate neglect of duty do not merely constitute individual misconduct; they can have far-reaching consequences for national development.
Resources that should provide roads, hospitals, schools, water, security and employment opportunities can be lost through irresponsible conduct. The ultimate victims are ordinary citizens.
It is therefore important for governments at all levels to deliberately cultivate a culture in which good public service is recognised and rewarded. Public servants should not be made to feel that only those who engage in questionable practices can prosper within the system.
Where honesty, competence, innovation and dedication consistently go unnoticed, the system may inadvertently discourage those who genuinely desire to serve the country. Recognition, therefore, should become an important instrument for strengthening positive behaviour within the public service.
Governments should establish credible mechanisms for identifying public servants who are genuinely living up to expectations. However, such a recognition should not be based on political affiliation, personal connections, ethnic considerations or ability to lobby powerful individuals. Instead, measurable indicators such as efficiency, transparency, innovation, punctuality, commitment to citizens, prudent management of public resources and demonstrable contributions to institutional development should form part of the assessment. A transparent process would give the recognition greater legitimacy.
ALSO READ >>>
Reduction of Petrol Price and the Trillion-Naira Question
One particularly important initiative would be the institutionalisation of annual public service awards at the federal, state and local government levels. Such awards could recognise outstanding individuals across different sectors, including education, healthcare, engineering, agriculture, security, administration, science and technology, environmental management and other areas of public service. Rather than being reduced to ceremonial presentations, the awards should carry meaningful and prestigious prizes capable of motivating recipients and inspiring others to emulate their achievements.
The prizes attached to such awards should be sufficiently lofty to communicate society’s appreciation for exceptional service. Financial rewards, professional development opportunities, national honours, scholarships, research grants, housing-related incentives or other meaningful benefits could be considered, depending on the category and level of recognition. The objective should not be to encourage public servants to work merely for rewards, but to demonstrate that a society that values service must also visibly appreciate those who distinguish themselves through exceptional commitment.
Such an award system could also generate healthy competition within the public service. When employees see colleagues being publicly recognised for honesty, innovation and outstanding performance, they may become more motivated to improve their own contributions. Institutions could equally benefit because recognition of excellence can encourage departments and agencies to develop stronger standards of performance. In this regard, awards would serve not only as rewards but also as instruments for institutional transformation.
However, rewarding exemplary public servants must go hand in hand with firm consequences for misconduct. Patriotism cannot thrive in an environment where individuals who deliberately abuse public office believe that they would escape accountability. Governments must therefore strengthen mechanisms for investigating credible allegations of corruption, abuse of office, fraud, diversion of public resources and other serious offences.
Due process and the rule of law must remain central, and accountability should be real rather than merely rhetorical. Where investigations establish that a public servant has committed a criminal offence, appropriate legal action ought to follow suit. The objective should not be persecution or politically motivated prosecution, but the enforcement of the law without fear or favour.
Public servants should understand that government service carries both privileges and obligations; while exceptional service deserves recognition, deliberate criminal conduct equally demands lawful consequences. The credibility of the public service depends substantially on this balance.
It is equally important that governments protect and encourage public servants who demonstrate integrity even when doing so may be difficult. Individuals who resist improper instructions, expose wrongdoing through lawful channels or insist on transparent procedures should not be treated as troublesome simply because they refuse to participate in questionable practices.
A healthy public service must create an environment where integrity is protected rather than punished, and where employees can perform their duties without undue pressure to compromise their principles.
Citizens also have a role to play in this transformation. Nigerians should learn to distinguish between public servants who genuinely serve the public and those who exploit public office for personal gain. The society is required to celebrate integrity, competence and service rather than glorifying unexplained wealth, political influence or ostentatious lifestyles.
The media, civil society organisations, professional bodies and academic institutions can equally contribute by highlighting examples of responsible public service and drawing attention to systemic weaknesses that require reform.
Nigeria needs a public service culture in which patriotism, competence and accountability reinforce one another. Hence, as earlier stated, governments should establish credible annual awards with substantial prizes for outstanding public servants across various sectors, while simultaneously strengthening lawful mechanisms for dealing with those who criminally abuse public trust.
The message should be clear: honest service will be respected, exceptional service will be recognised, and criminal abuse of public office will attract appropriate legal consequences.
The transformation of Nigeria does not depend exclusively on the formulation of new policies; it also depends on the character and commitment of the people entrusted with implementing those policies. A patriotic public servant should thus understand that every official decision can affect the life of a citizen as well as the destiny of the entire nation.
If governments consistently reward those who serve with distinction and ensure that the criminal-minded are subjected to due process and the law, public service can gradually become an institution in which integrity is not an exception but an expectation. That is the kind of culture Nigeria needs for sustainable national development. Think about it.
Comrade Fred Nwaozor, TheMediaAmbassador, can be reached via frednwaozor@gmail.com
N.B: This analysis had earlier been published in NewTelegraph Newspaper
