By Samuel Okhiria
In every progressive society, the public administrator is the silent engine behind effective governance. Their role is not necessarily to be seen, but to ensure that policies are people-centered, development-driven, and ethically sound. Unfortunately, in today’s Nigeria, the voices, efficiency, and effectiveness of public administrators have been completely eroded. When those entrusted with the principles of good governance become instruments of silence or, worse, agents of corruption, then indeed, there is a problem.
The decay didn’t start today. It dates back to the pre-independence era. From before 1960 till now, the public administration space in Nigeria has been marred by politicization, neglect, and ethical compromise. Yet, the origin of public administration as a discipline was built on reform and purpose. In 1887, Woodrow Wilson postulated the theory of public administration in response to the decaying state of the American public sector. He envisioned a professional and principled class of administrators who would guide governance with integrity and competence.
Wilson’s theory laid the foundation for transforming a broken system into one where civil servants and technocrats played pivotal roles in state-building. But in Nigeria, the reverse has become the norm. Here, public administrators, those who should be the brains behind policy formulation and implementation have become spectators. Professors and seasoned bureaucrats now fold their hands submissively while addressing politicians, afraid to challenge mediocrity or offer expert insight.
This is a national disgrace. These are the very individuals who should be ensuring that policies are not mere political soundbites, but grounded in research, reason, and reality. Instead, their silence has enabled the rise of trial-and-error leadership. Their withdrawal has left a vacuum now filled with sycophancy, policy somersaults, and misgovernance.
The deontological ethical theory of public administration emphasizes duty, responsibility, and moral obligation. Public office is not a favor; it is a mandate. So why do we, in Nigeria, continue to sing praises for public office holders who are merely doing the jobs they were elected or appointed to do? This mentality must be checked.
Many politicians in Nigeria continue to stumble, not because of a lack of ideas, but because the gatekeepers of administrative wisdom. Our public administrators have sold their conscience. In exchange for political favors, contracts, or crumbs of the “national cake,” they have become enablers of failure. In effect, they have become enemies of the people they swore to serve.
Where are the standards, values, and integrity that Woodrow Wilson envisioned in 1887? Today, even professors allow themselves to be ordered around by politicians, no matter how little the office. What happened to intellectual independence and moral courage?
Where did we get it wrong?
If Nigeria must reclaim her rightful place among the comity of nations, the voice of the public administrator must rise again in clear, bold, and uncompromising. We need a new era where technocrats, scholars, and civil servants are not lapdogs to power, but respected partners in governance.
Until then, the decay continues and we all pay the price.
*Comrade Samuel Oluwatoyin Okhiria, writting from Lagos
