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The Impact Of Ethnicity On Nigeria Public Service
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CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The
term ‘ethnicity’ has its roots in the Greek term ethnos/ethnikos, which
was commonly used to describe pagans, that is non-Hellenic and, later,
non-Jewish (Gentile) or non-Christian, second-class peoples, its
academic and popular use is fairly modern. Sociologically speaking, the
term was coined by D. Riesman in 1953 and it gained wider use only
during the 1960s and 1970s (Glazer and Moynihan, 1975).
Social
scientists define ethnicity as “a shared racial, linguistic, or national
identity of a social group†(Jary and Jary, 1991: 151). Social
researchers are interested in the assignment of individuals to social
groups.
Ethnicity may be defined as “the employment or mobilization
of ethnic identity and difference to gain advantage in situations of
competition, conflict or cooperation†(Osaghae 1995:11). This definition
is preferred because it identifies two issues that are central to
discussions on ethnicity. The first is that ethnicity is neither natural
nor accidental, but is the product of a conscious effort by social
actors. The second is that ethnicity is not only manifest in conflictive
or competitive relations but also in the contexts of cooperation. A
corollary to the second point is that ethnic conflict manifests itself
in various forms, including voting, community service and violence.
Thus, it need not always have negative consequences. Ethnicity also
encompasses the behavior of ethnic groups. Ethnic groups are groups with
ascribed membership, usually but not always based on claims or myths of
common history, ancestry, language, race, religion, culture and
territory. While all these variables need not be present before a group
is so defined, the important thing is that such a group is classified or
categorized as having a common identity that distinguishes it from
others. It is this classification by powerful agencies such as the
state, religious institutions and the intelligentsia such as local
ethnic historians that objectifies the ethnic group, often setting in
motion processes of self-identification or affirmation and recognition
by others. Thus, ethnicity is not so much a matter of ‘shared traits or
cultural commonalities’, but the result of the interplay between
external categorization and self-identification (Brubaker, Loveman and
Stamatov 2004:31-32).
Ekeh (1972, 1975) posits that one of the
fundamental consequences of colonialism was the creation of two publics,
which contested for the loyalty of Africans. These are: (1) the
primordial public which is made up of ethnic unions, community
associations and other primordial groups, established in the colonial
period to meet the welfare needs that were denied by the colonial state;
and (2) the civic public whose genealogy begins with the colonial state
apparatus and encompasses the symbols and institutions of the
post-colonial state. While the primordial public enjoyed the affection
of the people who always thought of what they could do for it without
asking for anything in return, the civic public is inundated by
avaricious citizens with a notion of citizenship that begins and ends at
the realm of rights.
Years before the attainment of independence,
Nigeria’s constitutional development experiences were concerned with the
principal goal of managing ethnicity, which had shown clear signs of
subverting the nation-building project. Federalism, the creation of
regions and states and local governments, the shift from parliamentary
to presidentialism, the institutionalization of quota systems, the
prohibition of ethnic political parties, consociation politicking, and
the adoption of the federal character principle are some of the
approaches that Nigeria has taken to manage ethnic diversity. These
mechanisms have enjoyed the intellectual backing of institutionalists
who posit that there is a connection between ethnic conflict or peace
and the nature of political institutions (Young 1976, Horowitz 1985).
Ethnic
inequality in Nigeria has really hindered growth in many areas of
development. The Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) is a means to
curb ethnicity in Nigeria; which if serious about it, a positive impact
will be felt.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]This research presents the results of the impact of ethnicity on Nigeria
public service; a case study of Ogun state civil service.The
population for the study consists of 40 people which were randomly
selected, Data were gathered using a self -constructed questionnaire and
the result gotten was analyzed using the simple percentage method. The
validity and reliability of instrument were ascertained. Data analyzed
from the research shows that there is a positive impact on public
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