Ethics and Accountability: Rebuilding Trust in the Nigerian Public Service

Abstract

The paper analyses the influence of ethics and accountability, regarded as the bedrock of effective service delivery, in the Nigerian public service. Provision of public goods for overall well-being of citizens is one of the core responsibilities of public institutions. However, the prevalence of unethical behaviours and lack of accountability in Nigeria, particularly in terms of financial corruption and other corrupt practices have continuously undermined the capacity of the government in the area of service delivery. Using a desk research approach, the paper explores data from existing documents and researches to distil the ethics and accountability content of the Nigerian public service. Four cases were purposively selected and interpretatively analysed to examine the link between ethics and accountability, and the issue of public trust in the Nigerian public service. Findings of the paper reveal that the erosion of public trust, and poor service delivery are some of the numerous outcomes of defiance to the principle of public ethics and accountability by both career non-career public officers in their conduct of official responsibilities. The paper concludes that rebuilding public trust in the Nigerian public service requires a wholesome commitment to the principle public ethics and accountability. Strengthening of anti-corruption agencies, sustained advocacy of transparency and accountability principles, effective service delivery, merit based recruitment, and improved welfare programmes are viewed as credible path toward rebuilding public trust in the Nigerian public service.