DEREGULATION OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AND CIVIL SERVANTS’ WORK ATTITUDE IN NIGERIA’S SOUTHEAST

Abstract

For several years now, Nigerian State has pursued the policy on strategic deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum products. Specifically, between 1978 and 2012, we have had 17 petroleum product price adjustments. This has led to increases in pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS). This paper examines the effect of this deregulation and the subsequent increases in petroleum product on civil servants attitude to work in the Southeast of Nigeria. Using the survey method and adopting the neo-liberal theory, the paper finds out that following these increments, price of service and essential products also increases and with the depreciated value of naira, civil servants gets involved in lots extra service activities as survival leading to multiplication of corrupt practices. While observing that the rational for and existence of the subsidy in the petroleum sector is suspect as the functioning of the Nigerian petroleum refining infrastructure appear to be sabotaged to justify importation and create more fraudulent avenues for personal accumulation, it is clear that it negatively affects the work attitudes and service delivery by the civil servants in the southeast of Nigeria. We recommend that the government should embarks on revival of the refining capacity of the state, deregulate the sector out-rightly and allow/encourage private sector participation to the lowest level in refining and marketing the petroleum product. Also, the work conditions of civil/public servants also need a lot of attention.