Application of Due Process in Recruitment and Selection of Personnel into the Federal Civil Service. Part 2

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Methodology Method of Data Collection Due to the nature of this study, data was collected through both primary and secondary sources of information. The primary sources comprised of the written questionnaire, oral interview, and observation. While the secondary sources comprised the textbooks, newspapers, journals, magazines, resources from the internet, and other relevant materials. The use of the questionnaire was because it gives the researcher a wider range of information and secondly because the respondents were at ease with his/her self to express his/her mind and views without the fear of being traced back. Hence it can be trusted to elicit correct responses. In this study, three hundred (300) questionnaires were administered to the staff of the federal civil service commission, Abuja. In addition, the oral interview was embarked on to substantiate the information collected. The advantage of the interview is that it gives first-hand information. The interview with some of the civil servants in the federal civil service commission will border on general issues such as the population of civil servants in different ministries of the federation and also on recruitment, promotion, and disciplinary matters. However, personal observation is also carried out in this research work. The observation of the researcher from the way the civil servants go about their duties also contributed immensely to this study. In this research work, a structured questionnaire was used to gather information from the respondent regarding the issues in this research. Description of the Study Location The study was carried out in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Abuja, which covers a land area of 8,000 square kilometers and is located in the middle of the country. Abuja falls within latitude 7° 25' N and 9° 20° North of the equator and longitude 5° 45' and 7° 39' east of Greenwich. The FCT is subdivided into six Area Councils - Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali. The urban areas are in the Federal Capital City (FCC) namely, Garki, Maitama, Wuse, Asokoro, Gwarinpa, and Gudu districts. At the 2006 census, the city of Abuja had a population of 776, 298, making it one of the ten most populous cities in Nigeria. In 2008, the FCT has an estimated population of about 1.4 million with Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) having a population of about 780,000 [1]. The federal civil service commission head office is at No. 4 Abidjan Street, Wuse zone 3, Abuja. Federal civil service has twenty-five ministries (source: civil service handbook). The federal ministries are Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Aviation, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Employment, Labour and Productivity, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Ministry of Petroleum, Ministry of Police Affairs, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Ministry of Works, Housing and Urban Development, and Ministry of Youth Development. These are the ministries to which the FCSC is responsible for the recruitment and selection of their staff. Sample and Sampling Techniques A simple random sampling technique was used. A sample of three hundred (300) is used and respondents were chosen by random. The questionnaire was shared among the junior civil servant and the senior staff. One-hundred (100) of the questionnaires were distributed among the junior civil servants while two-hundred (200) questionnaires were distributed among the senior staff. The same questionnaire was administered to the two groups so that their view on the various issue and how they differ will be pointed out. The respondent is required to fill in background information. This helps in an in-depth analysis of respondent’s response information, and the number of years of service the respondents have put in will help to determine the weight their response will carry. Method of Data Analysis A five-point Likert scale was used for making analysis. The “Agree-Disagree” response pattern was employed. Weights were assigned to responses as indicated in the table. This method of analysis enabled the researcher to transform quantitative information gathered into qualitative information and inferential judgments based on them as supported by observable facts. The data so obtained from this exercise were tabulated, classified, and analyzed using the adequate statistical method to nullify or accept each of the assumed alternatives. The mean scores were calculated and the decision rule was to accept the item that has a mean score of 3.50 or above. Validation of Measuring Instrument Validity herein, is the degree or extent to which an instrument of measurement measures what it was meant to measure, i.e. has it achieved its goal with certainty? The instrument used for this research was validated by ensuring that questions in both interview and questionnaire were structured in such a way that the researcher could obtain information relevant to the purpose of this study, also the question was made as clear as possible to avoid ambiguity. Secondly, the validation of the instrument comes from the fact that the researcher used secondary sources of information like, published articles, textbooks which are believed to be authentic sources of information and widely accepted in researching any field of study. Sample Size One-hundred (100) respondents were chosen from the junior civil servants while two-hundred (200) respondents were chosen from the senior staff, giving a total of three-hundred (300) respondents. Two hundred and seventy-six (276) were properly completed and returned and twenty-four (24) were unreturned. The authors base their research on the 276 questionnaires returned. Data Presentation Indeed, a total of three hundred (300) questionnaires were issued out among the junior civil servant and the senior staff of the federal civil service commission, but only two-hundred and seventy-six (276) were returned. The study analysis is based on the 276 questionnaires returned. Fig. 1. Distribution and Return of Questionnaires by the Junior Civil Servant and Senior Staff Personal Data The data generated from the questionnaires in respect to the application of due process in recruitment and selection of personnel into the federal civil service were summarized and analyzed as presented in the figure below (see items 1-6 in the Appendix, part A.) Fig. 2. Gender of Respondents Source: Researcher’s Survey January 2021 From the chart above, one-hundred and fifty-four (154) / fifty-five dot eight percent (55.8 %) respondents are male, while one-hundred and twenty-two (122) / forty-four dot two percent (44.2 %) are female. The figure shows that there are more males than females among the respondents from the federal civil service commission. Fig. 3. Marital Status of Respondents Source: Researcher’s Survey January 2021 The above figure (3) shows that one-hundred and twenty-two (122) / forty-four dot two percent (44.2 %) respondents are married, one-hundred and forty-nine (149) / fifty-three dot nine percent (53.9%) are single, while five (5) / one dot nine percent (1.9%) respondents divorce. This figure shows that majority of the respondent is single. Fig. 4. Age Distribution of Respondents Source: Researcher’s Survey January 2021 Figure 4 depicts that seventy (70) / twenty-five dot four percent (25.4%) of the respondents fell within the age limit of 21 - 30 years, ninety-six (96) / thirty-four dot eight percent (34.8%) were within the age range of 31 - 40, seventy-five (75) / twenty-seven dot one percent (27.1%) fell within the age range of 41 - 50, while thirty-five (35) / twelve dot seven percent (12.7%) are those respondents whose ages fell within the age range of 60 years and above. Fig. 5. Educational Qualification of Respondents Source: Researcher’s Survey January 2021 From the figure (5) above, thirty (30) / ten dot nine percent (10.9%) of the respondents had first school leaving certificate, forty-five (45) / sixteen dot three percent (16.3%) respondents were those with SSCE or GCE, fifty-four (54) / nineteen dot six percent (19.6%) were holders of the OND/Equivalent, NCE/Equivalent were fifty-nine (59) / twenty-one dot three percent (21.3%). Those having Bachelor’s degrees were fifty (50) / eighteen dot one percent (18.1%), while thirty-eight (38) / thirteen dot eight percent (13.8%) were those respondents with the Master’s Degree. From this figure, the authors discovered that those with NCE/Equivalent had the highest respondence of fifty-nine (59) / twenty-one dot three percent (21.3%). Figure 6 above depicts the length of service distribution of respondents; seventy (70) / twenty-five dot three percent (25.3%) were respondents that fell within the length of service year 11 - 20, sixty-six (66) / twenty-three dot nine percent (23.9%) were those respondents that fell within the length of service year 21 - 30, while fifty-two (52) / eighteen dot nine (18.9%) were those that fell within the length of service years 31 - 40 years. In figure 7, eighty-two (82) / twenty-nine dot eight percent (29.8%) of the respondents were in salary grade levels 01 - 07, seventy-four (74) / twenty-six dot eight (26.8%) of the respondent were in grade levels 08 - 10, seventy (70) / twenty-five dot three percent (25.3%) were in grade levels 12 - 14, while those in grade level 15 and above were fifty (50) in number representing eighteen dot one percent (18.1%). Fig. 6. Length of Service in Years Source: Researcher’s Survey January 2021 Fig. 7. Salary Grade Level of Respondents Source: Researcher’s Survey January 2021 Substantive Data A five-point Likert scale was used for making analysis. The mean scores and percentage were calculated. The decision rule was to accept the item that has a mean score of 3.50 and above. Question 7: Do you agree that politicization on recruitment and selection of civil servants in the federal civil service affects productivity? Table 1 Politicization and Productivity Options F X % FX Strongly agree 5 94 34.0 470 Agree 4 88 31.9 352 Undecided 3 9 3.3 27 Disagree 2 55 19.9 110 Strongly disagree 1 30 10.9 30 Total 15 276 100% 989 Source: As analyzed from the questionnaire (item No7) A five-point Likert scale was used for making analysis. The mean scores and percentage were calculated. The decision rule was to accept the item that has a mean score of 3.50 and above. The decision rule is to accept where the mean score is 3.50 and above and to reject where the mean score is less than 3.50. From the analysis made in table 1 above, ninety-four (94) respondents strongly agreed and eighty-eight (88) respondents agreed that the politicization on recruitment and selection of civil servants in the federal civil service affects productivity. Nine (9) respondents were undecided, fifty-five (55) respondents disagreed and thirty (30) respondents strongly disagreed with this view. The percentage of the respondents who supported this view was sixty-five dot nine (65.9%) as opposed to thirty-four dot one (34.1%) of those who disagreed and those who were undecided on this point. Apart from the above, observation recorded from the oral interview with the respondents showed that politicization on recruitment and selection of civil servants in the federal civil service affects productivity. In this regard, some of the respondents revealed that low productivity in civil services occurs as a result of recruiting and selecting unqualified staff through political interference. Conclusively, it is believed that politicization on recruitment and selection of civil servants in the federal civil service affects productivity. The mean score is 3.58, so the authors accept that politicization on recruitment and selection of civil servants in the federal civil service affects productivity. Question 8: Does politicization of recruitment and selection in the federal civil service commission account for ineffectiveness in federal civil service? Table 2 Politicization Versus Ineffectiveness in Federal Civil Service Option F X % FX Strongly agree 5 102 36.9 510 Agree 4 92 33.3 368 Undecided 3 5 1.9 15 Disagree 2 57 20.7 114 Strongly disagree 1 20 7.2 20 Total 15 276 100 1027 Source: As analyzed from questionnaire No. 8. From the analysis made in table 2 above, one-hundred and two (102) respondents strongly agreed and ninety-two (92) respondents agreed that politicization of recruitment and selection in the federal civil service commission account for ineffectiveness in federal civil service. Five (5) respondents were undecided, fifty-seven (57) respondents disagreed and twenty (20) strongly disagreed with this view. The percentage of the respondents who supported this view was seventy dot two percent (70.2%) as opposed to twenty-nine dot eight percent (29.8%) of those who disagreed and those who were undecided on these points. The responses from the respondents showed that politicization of recruitment and selection in the federal civil service commission accounts for ineffectiveness in federal civil service. In other words, it is believed that inefficiency and ineffectiveness in federal civil service are a result of employing unqualified, inexperienced, and indisposed personnel who are politically recruited and selected. The mean score is 3.72, so the authors accept that politicization of recruitment and selection in the federal civil service commission accounts for ineffectiveness in federal civil service. Question 9: In your own opinion does political interference in the recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service affect efficiency? Table 3 Political Interference Versus Efficiency Option F X % FX Strongly agree 5 90 32.6 450 Agree 4 95 34.4 380 Undecided 3 12 4.3 36 Disagree 2 29 10.6 58 Strongly disagree 1 50 18.1 50 Total 15 276 100 974 Source: As analyzed from questionnaire item 9 From the analysis made in table 3 above, ninety (90) respondents strongly agreed and ninety-five (95) respondents agreed that political interference in the recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service affect efficiency. Twelve (12) respondents were undecided, twenty-nine (29) respondents disagreed and fifty (50) respondents strongly disagreed with this view. The percentage of the respondents who supported this view was sixty-seven percent (67%) as opposed to thirty-three (33%) of those who disagreed and those who were undecided on this point. The mean score is 3.53, so the authors accept that political interference in the recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service affects efficiency. Efficiency is the ability to do anything well or to achieve the desired result without wasted energy, while inefficiency is the absence of competence. Recruitment and selection of the unqualified and wrong type of staff into certain positions in civil service based on political considerations will bring about inefficiency, thus engendering the objective of the federal civil service. Question 10: Is corruption a constraint to the effective application of due process in the recruitment and selection of personnel into the federal civil service? Table 4 Corruption Versus Application of Due Process Option F X % FX Strongly agree 5 89 32.2 445 Agree 4 93 33.7 372 Undecided 3 8 2.9 24 Disagree 2 43 15.6 86 Strongly disagree 1 43 15.6 43 Total 15 276 100 970 Source: As analyzed from questionnaire item No 10 Table 4 indicates that eighty-nine (89) respondents strongly agreed and ninety-three (93) respondents agreed that corruption is a constraint to the effective application of due process in the recruitment and selection of personnel into the federal civil service. Eight (8) respondents were undecided, forty-three (43) disagreed, while forty-three (43) strongly disagreed with this view. The percentage of the respondents who supported this view was sixty-five dot nine percent (65.9%) as opposed to thirty-four dot one percent (34.1%) of those who disagreed and those who were undecided on this point. The mean score is 3.51, and so the authors accept that corruption was a constraint to the effective application of due process in the recruitment and selection of personnel into the federal civil service. Question 11: Do you agree that there are no strategies or methods of recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service? Table 5 Existence of Strategies or Methods Option F X % FX Strongly agree 5 95 34.4 475 Agree 4 95 34.4 380 Undecided 3 7 2.5 21 Disagree 2 29 10.6 58 Strongly disagree 1 50 18.1 50 Total 15 276 100 984 Source: As analyzed from questionnaire items No 11 From the analysis made in table 5 above, ninety-five (95) respondents strongly agreed and ninety-five (95) respondents agreed that there are no strategies or methods of recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service. Three (3) respondents were undecided, twenty-nine (29) disagreed and fifty (50) strongly disagreed with this view. The percentage of the respondents who supported this view was sixty-eight dot eight percent (68.8%) as opposed to thirty-one dot two percent (31.2%) of those who disagreed and those who were undecided on this point. The mean score is 3.57, so the authors accept that there are no strategies or methods of recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service. Question 12: In your own opinion do you agree that corruption accounts for a lack of strategies or methods of recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service? Table 6 Corruption Versus Lack of Strategies or Methods Option F X % FX Strongly agree 5 104 37.6 520 Agree 4 76 27.5 304 Undecided 3 7 2.5 21 Disagree 2 37 13.5 74 Strongly disagree 1 52 18.9 52 Total 15 276 100 971 Source: As analyzed from questionnaire item 12 Table 6 indicates that one-hundred and four (104) respondents strongly agreed and seventy-six (76) respondents agreed that corruption accounts for lack of strategies or methods of recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service. Seven (7) respondents were undecided, thirty-seven (37) respondents disagreed, while fifty-two (52) strongly disagreed with this view. The percentage of the respondents who supported this view was sixty-five dot one percent (65.1%) as opposed to thirty-four dot nine percent (34.9%) of those who disagreed and those who were undecided on this point. The mean score is 3.52, and so the authors accept that corruption account for the lack of strategies or methods of recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service. Question 13: Do you agree that there is no due process in the recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service? Table 7 Existence of Due Process Option F X % FX Strongly agree 5 102 36.9 510 Agree 4 90 32.7 360 Undecided 3 5 1.9 15 Disagree 2 59 21.3 118 Strongly disagree 1 20 7.2 20 Total 15 276 100 1023 Source: As analyzed from questionnaire No 13 From the analysis on table 7 above, one-hundred and two (102) respondents strongly agreed and ninety (90) respondents agreed that there was no due process in the recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service. Five (5) respondents were undecided, fifty-nine (59) disagreed and twenty (20) strongly disagreed with this view. The percentage of the respondents who supported this view was sixty-nine dot six percent (69.6%) as opposed to thirty dot four percent (30.4%) of those who disagreed and those who were undecided on this point. The mean score is 3.71, and the authors agree and accept that there was no due process in the recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service. Discussion of the Findings Strategies or Methods of Recruitment and Selection of Staff into the Federal Civil Service Findings from the study revealed that there were no strategies or methods of recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service. This finding is supported by the reports of Ikwesi [2] that recruitment and selection procedures in the Nigerian public service are subverted and replaced with informal processes which make the employment of competent people difficult. The finding also is in agreement with the report of Babaru [3], who stated that the military ruled the country for about 28 years, and during regimes, they initiated different reforms that led to the conscious and deliberate politicization of the federal civil service which made the system declined in efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity. This finding is also supported by the reports of Ikechukwu, et al [4] that recruitment and selection exercise is replaced with a mere appointment and compensation program which is heavily influenced by politicians. In a similar vein, and based on the oral interview conducted by the researchers, the respondents revealed that there were no strategies or methods of recruitment and selection, rather they use different reforms for the recruitment and selection process. In other words, it means that there were no known strategies or methods of recruitment and selection used by the commission. This problem (of no strategies or methods of recruitment and selection) poses serious hindrances to the application of due process in the recruitment and selection of personnel in federal civil service in Nigeria. Application of Due Process in Recruitment and Selection of Personnel into the Federal Civil Service The final part of the discussion relates to the research question “do you agree that there is no due process in the recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service?”. The analysis shows that the percentage of the respondents who supported this view was sixty-nine dot six percent (69.6%) as opposed to thirty dot four percent (30.4%) of those who disagreed and those who were undecided on this point. The mean score is 3.71 and these are indications that there was no due process in the recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service. From our fieldwork, it is obvious that the majority of the respondents were of the view that there was no application of due process in the recruitment and selection of personnel into the federal civil service in Nigeria. Considering items 10 in which the authors were to know if corruption was a constraint to the effective application of due process in the recruitment and selection of personnel into the federal civil service. From the responses, the authors observed that the mean score is 3.51. Since the decision rule is to accept where the mean score is 3.50 and above and to reject where the mean score is less than 3.50. This finding is supported by the reports of Asiegbu and Ezeadi [5] that the civil servants are employed through competitive exams only, but in the federal civil service of today, employment into the civil service is sometimes determined by some factors like political patronage i.e. a situation where godfatherism takes charge in selecting officials into the civil service. The finding is in line with Ikwesi [2] who stressed that corruption in the civil service commission has enabled some bureaucrats to thwart the recruitment and selection processes in Nigeria. Further, the finding is in agreement with the report of Okoli [6] that people get what they want (including employment) based on their degree of connectedness rather than the due process involved in acquiring such things. What this means is that hardly can any Nigerian be recruited into the federal civil service without “knowing” somebody, or “knowing” somebody who “knows” somebody, or somebody who “knows”, who “knows” somebody…”. Therefore, recruitment and selection practices in federal civil service tend to undermine the principle of due process. Limitations of the Study Based on the findings of the study the following limitations were noted, that could limit the generalization of the findings: 1) The use of only the federal civil service commission’s respondents may limit the finding of the study because other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the civil service could have provided more valid information on the application of due process in the recruitment and selection of personnel into the federal civil service. 2) The use of only the federal civil service commission, Abuja for the study may also have limited the generalization of the findings. This is because a larger population may have generated more responses from larger respondents. Suggestions for Further Research Based on the limitations of the present study, the authors suggest that further research studies in this area should be undertaken with more departments included in the study and hence, larger sample size to enable greater confidence in the generalization of results. Conclusion The findings of this research work conform with the views and findings in related literature already reviewed in this work. In this study, the major challenges reported as hindering the application of due process in recruitment and selection of personnel into the federal civil service were political interference and corruption. The study suggested the following to adhere strictly to the due process application in recruitment and selection of federal civil servants in Nigeria - federal civil service commission should minimize the degree of politicization and corruption in the recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service and use E-recruitment process and Information & Communication Technology (ICT)-based selection resources as their source of recruitment and selection. Recommendations From the discussion of the findings, the following recommendations were made: 1) The government should formulate sound policies and practices that will minimize the degree of politicization and corruption in the recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service. 2) The federal civil service commission should make use of modern sources and techniques of recruitment and selection such as E-recruitment process and Information & Communication Technology (ICT)-based selection resources (programmed according to Job design - requisite qualification, skills, knowledge, work experience, etc.) as their source of recruitment and selection. 3) The federal civil service commission should develop strategies or methods that will result in the application of due process in their recruitment and selection exercise. Appendix PART A QUESTIONNAIRE PERSONAL DATA Kindly tick (√ ) in the appropriate space provided. 1. GENDER: (i) Male (ii) Female 2. MARITAL STATUS: (i) Married (ii) Single (iii) Divorce 3. AGE DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENT (i) 21 - 30 Years (ii) 31 - 40 Years (iii) 41 - 50 Years (iv) 60 years and above 4. EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION OF RESPONDENTS: (i) FLSC (ii) SSCE/GCE (iii) OND/Equivalent (iv) NCE/ Equivalent (v) Bachelor’s Degree/ HND (vi) Master’s Degree (vii) Others (Ph.D.) 5. LENGTH OF SERVICE IN YEARS (i) 1 - 10 (ii) 11 - 20 (iii) 21 - 30 (iv) 31 - 40 6. SALARY GRADE LEVEL (i) 01 - 07 (ii) 08 - 10 (iii) 12 - 14 (iv) 15 and above PART B SUBSTANTIVE DATA 7. Question: Do you agree that politicization on recruitment and selection of civil servants in the federal civil service affects productivity? (a) Strongly agree (b) Agree (c) Undecided (d) Disagree (e) Strongly Disagree 8. Question: Does politicization of recruitment and selection in the federal civil service commission account for ineffectiveness in federal civil service? (a) Strongly agree (b) Agree (c) Undecided (d) Disagree (e) Strongly Disagree 9. Question: In your own opinion does political interference in the recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service affect efficiency? (a) Strongly agree (b) Agree (c) Undecided (d) Disagree (e) Strongly Disagree 10. Question: Is corruption a constraint to the effective application of due process in the recruitment and selection of personnel into the federal civil service? (a) Strongly agree (b) Agree (c) Undecided (d) Disagree (e) Strongly Disagree 11. Question: Do you agree that there are no strategies or methods of recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service? (a) Strongly agree (b) Agree (c) Undecided (d) Disagree (e) Strongly Disagree 12. Question: In your own opinion do you agree that corruption account for the lack of strategies or methods of recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service? (a) Strongly agree (b) Agree (c) Undecided (d) Disagree (e) Strongly Disagree 13. Question: Do you agree that there is no due process in the recruitment and selection of staff into the federal civil service? (a) Strongly agree (b) Agree (c) Undecided (d) Disagree (e) Strongly Disagree

About the authors

Vincent A. Ani

University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)

Author for correspondence.
Email: anayochukwu.vincent@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5851-2162

PhD, Department of Electronic Engineering

Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria, 410001

Grace I. Anayochukwu

Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA)

Email: graceanayochukwu@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7291-3843

Staff of Finance and Administration

P.m.b. 24, Area 11, Abuja, Nigeria

References