3. Introduction
3.2 African Culture and Nepotism
3.2.4 Implications of the Extended Family System
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Nevertheless, we are particularly interested in nepotism that results from the pressure that the extended family exerts on civil servant. Our particular insistence on limiting our analysis to the extended family system is informed by our belief that no matter how modern an African society is today, the extended family still plays an indispensable role in forming and guiding behaviours.
Having made this point clear, let us turn our attention to some of the adverse effects on the society that could result from nepotism or from one‟s effort to favour his friends and relatives over and above others. Firstly, Dennis Laker and Mary Williams note that where nepotism is caused by the extended family system, it has some specific adverse effects associated with it. Some of these negative effects according to these scholars are “perception of favouritism, problem with discipline, potential fraud and breached confidentiality” (Laker and Williams, 2003: 191). For Egbue, the basic problem of nepotism is that it leads to hiring less qualified candidates for a job where more qualified candidates are available. Egbue argues that “personal relationships with friends and relatives also extend to providing them with jobs and contracts” (Egbue, 2006: 86). A civil servant of a high cadre that is in a position of employing people will give employment to his or her relatives, and then, will equally extend his favour to other friends who may be looking for jobs or contracts. Egbue also, opines that the practice of giving employment to less qualified candidates, where there are more qualified candidates for the same post not only encourages corruption but also causes inefficiency. One other problem that is likely to occur when selection is done, because of extended family, is that, most of those that are selected work as „hired labourers‟. Most often the code of conduct regarding the public sector officials is not followed as long as the god-father still remains active. In this way nepotism through the extended family system, will continue to effect the public service negatively, more especially in less developing societies (Egbue, 2006: 86).
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individual in the traditional African society is to the family members. This would tempt the civil servant to give an unqualified member of the family a job against other qualified candidates (Ekpo, 1979). When an incompetent or unqualified person is employed to work, undoubtedly, productivity will be seriously affected.
Moreover, another bad aspect of nepotism, include discrimination, injustice and so on, affect the general public and may also cause negative feeling towards the perpetrators. This can be seen in both job recruitments and promotions in the public service. In line with this, while commenting on the dangers of nepotism and favouritism in the police department, Johan Burger explains that:
It is clear that any injustice in promotions will not only affect the individual officer in lowering morale and efficiency, but also cause negative feelings towards the leaders in the police…One vital implication of unfair application of the rules for promotions is maintaining the serious inequalities created by advancing those who do not really deserve to be promoted and holding back the ones who deserve it on merit. This, no doubt, reduces the overall efficiency of the organisation (Burger, 2010:
1).
Furthermore, according to Burger “this situation results in a number of other negative consequences for the policeorganisation. Without respect discipline breaks down, and without discipline basic command and control suffers”(Burger, 2010: 1).
He explains further that, police officials who are better qualified for promotion or appointment will have feelings of discontent that may not only impact on their performance, but may also filter through to the rest of the staff. In the end morale suffers and this has a negative impact on the performance of the organisation in general. Such appointments and promotions will likely lead to controversy and suspicion and it can be deduced that this is probably not peculiar to the police department alone.
Since the extended family system consists of people from the same group, those outside the group will always see nepotism as something that is discriminatory. If
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individuals are not selected on the basis of merit, which is based on individual performance,it means nothing but discrimination. Nepotism is not only discriminatory, but it makes the government look like a family business which does not benefit the general public. The outsiders will equally see it as a dishonest and bad practice if only onegroup benefits from what is meant to be for the good of the general public. As a result, people will view nepotism as a practice that brings disharmony into society, which may, in effect, lead to members outside the group to start looking for other means of survival. Thus, nepotism becomes something that is considered to be unfair and immoral to people that are not benefitting from it.
Nepotism is rampant and makes it difficult for civil servants to meet the expectations of people. In other words, ifcivil servants did away with nepotism, the public service would meet the expectations of the general public. Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan (2011): Identified corruption and nepotism as factors responsible for the inability of the public service to meet the expectations of Nigeria. He said erosion of value had deliberately incapacitated the public service, making it lose the required stem and vigour to function effectively and efficiently to the satisfaction of Nigerians (Daily Trust, 30 November, 2011)
The positive aspect of nepotism sometimes makes a person who practices it to be more acceptable and equally seen as a good person to the family members and friends because of the opportunity given to them in getting what they want (Darwins, 2009:1).
The civil servant may not want to help or employ people who could expose him. He understands the implication of being exposed as a civil servant, especially when there is so much illicit business that he deals with in the public service. It is dangerous for him to appoint people who will expose and criticise him, because it will not help him achieve much of the personal gains he may be targeting. In order to avoid being implicated, he needs people whom he can at least trust in certain things. Therefore, since appointments and selection most often depend on nepotism, those civil servants that are very interested in their personal gain, will always select
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those who will not help in exposing them (Cammack, 2007:1). The implication is that sometimes a civil servant selects relatives or close friends, not just because he/she cares much for them, but because he/she needs a cover-up and protection.
Another reason why a civil servant could become involved in nepotism is because such an individual wants to maintain power at all costs. This is especially in cases where people are appointed to a certain office in which they have to stay for a certain period of time and continue for another term, if possible. In these cases, the civil servant is likely to enter into a solidarity network to make sure that he continues to stay in office. This type of network goes beyond the extended family framework (Olivier De Sardan, 1999:40) because the civil servant is not committed to the family only. This network may include people known from primary school to those currently working in his office.
In Africa, the new patrimonialism is described by Cammak in this way:
Power lies in the hands of few people, „big men‟
who follow a logic of personal interest rather than national interest or betterment. These big men are linked to „informal‟ networks that connect MPs, chiefs, party officials and government bureaucrats to villagers (Cammack, 2007:1).
This makes corruption rampant. In this form of governance the logic is to gain and retain power at all costs. It can be said that, if a civil servant is not well committed to many people, it becomes difficult for him to get what he wants.The civil servant will make sure that he/she gives his/her support to them so that anytime he wants their help they will willingly respond.