EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE  AND PERFORMANCE OF  PUBLIC SERVICE IN NIGERIA (A STUDY OF MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, ENUGU, ENUGU STATE).
Abstract
The topic of this study was employee discipline and performance of  public service of Enugu state, (A study of ministry of  justice, Enugu). The study made use of both primary and secondary sources of data. The questionnaire was developed based on the four research questions. The population of the study was three hundred and seven (307) staff of both ministry of justice and civil service commission Enugu. The sample size was one hundred and seventy-four (174). The sample technique used was stratified random sampling. The instrument used for gathering data for the study was questionnaire which was structured. The instrument was tagged discipline in the public service descriptive questionnaire (DPSD). The validity of the instrument was tested using pilot test technique. The inability of the instrument was also tested using test retest technique. The sample was statistical techniques of frequency and percentages were used in this study. Some findings were made and they include; that discipline affect every performance of civil servant in the ministry of justice, Enugu that poor motivation of workers in the ministry was among those things affecting discipline in the ministry. That good leadership was established to be one of the way to maintain discipline in the ministry and that training and retraining of staff of the ministry were the suggested measures to be taken to ensure staff improved performance. The recommendations are that the ministry should endeavour to create environment whereby her employer would perform the duties with best indulgence an acts of discipline that the staff of the ministry need to be motivated, that good leaders should be placed in position of trust to ensure that rules and regulations guiding the service are strictly followed and that adequate machinery should be introduced towards training of retaining and all staff of the ministry. A conclusion was drawn to the effect that every effort has to be made to ensure that discipline is maintained for growth of service in Enugu state.
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Background of the study
Statement of the problem
Objective of the study
Significant of the study
Scope/Delimitation of the study
Research Questions
Definition of terms/acronyms
CHAPTER TWO
Review of Related Literature
Conceptual meaning of Discipline
The Civil services and discipline
General inefficiency
Serious misconduct
Aims and Objectives of discipline
Causes of indiscipline among employees
Principles of disciplinary action
Systems of rules
types of organizational discipline
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
Research Design
Area of Study
Population of the study
Sample size and sampling technique
Instrument used for data collection
Validity of the instrument
Reliability of the instrument
Method of data collection
Method of data analysis.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Analysis of research questions
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of findings
Conclusion
Recommendations
Limitation of the study
References
Appendices

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
With the emergence of modern state and development of the parliamentary system of government, the civil service or public service has evolved as the bed-rock of the executive arm of government. Its main task has been the implementation or execution of government policies and programmes.
In addition, it is also responsible for the management of the machinery of government and carrying out daily duties that public administration demands. The public service administration is made up of ministries or parastatals or extra-ministerial departments.
There has been an impairment of discipline in the public service that the traditional role of policy implementation has become affected adversely. The civil service commission which is the body responsible for the effective maintenance of discipline hardly can perform this task these days (Adebayo, 1994:199).
According to Ani, (1991:10), a good number of our Public servants believe that the public service belongs to our then colonial masters and as such they throw discipline in the service to the winds. Under such condition of indiscipline, productivity in the service in adversely affected.
In the words of Ciroma, (1985:5), the high rate of cases of indiscipline in the service has rendered the public service an Adhoc affair instead of a permanent future of our modern government and administration.
The rules and regulations are given various interpretation to suit certain perceptions and to achieve selfish motives.
Adebayo, (1994:180) believes that the high degree of indiscipline in the public service had give rise to (god fatherism) nepotism, favourism and inefficiency in the service. He went further to trace the cause to the attitude of our political leadership.
The views of Adebayo have gone to give credence to the fact that even public servants themselves no longer trust their colleagues. Appointments, promotions and even benefits have been offered to under public servants against the laid down civil service rules.
Worse still the public themselves (the tax payers) no longer have confidence on the civil servants and the necessary co-operation the public would have offered has been withdrawn. The net effect is that entire system is suffering and even getting to a total collapse.
Statement of the problem
    The civil service has remained the bed-rock of modern government for the realisation of goals and objectives in order words; it has remained as a very veritable instrument to sell government programmes to the public and to achieve concrete result in order to improve on the lives or welfare of the populace. Unfortunately the public service has been bedevilled with misconduct.
    For an illustration the present day public servants have been guilty of dishonesty, drunkenness during official hours, false claim against government, falsification or suppression or cards, loitering, engaging in trade or business without authority, to mention but a few. Momoh, (1988:40).
    Adebayo, (1994:168), admitted that indiscipline in the service had given room for inefficiency among the public servants. He blamed both government and the public servants themselves for this disease which had eaten deep into the fabrics of the public service in Nigeria.
    Again, indiscipline in the public service has been used as major reasons to indict various governments in our country. Indeed, it has been responsible for the poor economy of our nation. For instance, the inflation of contract award by the civil servants, embezzlement of public fund, civil servants engage in political activities, they even go to the extent of disclosing unofficial information and so on and so forth. Nnawuba, (1996:15).
    It is point of fact that the civil service has a great role to play in the lives of both of the greatest administration of service is indiscipline. The researchers have therefore been compelled to carry out a study on discipline in the public service a case study of ministry of justice, Enugu.
Objective of the study
    The objectives of the study have been stated as follows:
i.    A critical book at discipline among civil servants in the ministry of justice, Enugu
ii.    The relationship between discipline in the service and the implementation of government policies.
iii.    Evaluation of the perception of the public on conduct of public servants in ministry of justice, Enugu
iv.    The extent the political leadership in Nigeria has contributed to the efficiency of public servants, and
v.    To find out factors that would promote discipline among public servants in ministry of justice, Enugu.
Significant of the study
    The study would be significant to the researcher as it would serve as a realization of a dream in the academic circle. Secondly it would be our colleagues, would like to have as insight into this work so that they can locate their knowledge of the topic of study.
    The study would also convey special meaning to the management of ministry of justice Enugu as it would use it to guard against indiscipline among its staff.
    The civil service commission would be another group that this study would be of significance.
    Finally, this study would be of significance to policy makers because issues bordering discipline would be looked into more carefully to discipline in the service.
Scope/Delimitation of the study
    This study has been a survey research with the ministry of justice, Enugu as the case study. The civil service commission, Enugu was involved in the study. In the same way all the workers participated. The research was descriptively analysis. Being a survey research, the centralization of the study and the target population from where the sample was drawn. The research covered areas that had similar environment and characteristics with the target population and that to a larger extent the validity and reliability of the instrument used were also touched.
Research Question
i.    How does discipline affect the performance of civil service in ministry of justice, Enugu
ii.    What factors affected discipline in ministry of justice, Enugu state.
iii.    How can discipline be maintained in ministry of justice Enugu state
iv.    What measures do you suggest to be taken that would promote discipline in ministry of justice, Enugu state?
The research defined some terms used in the study and they are as follows;
Definition of Terms/acronyms
Civil Service:    An organisation set up by government to see to the implementation of government programmes and implementation of government programmes. It comprises of the executive and other servants who are grouped according to their respective ministries (Adebayo, 1994:01).
Civil Service Commission: This is the Enugu state civil service commission.
Public Service: It denotes government organization entrusted with the implementation of government policies.
Civil Service Rules: A book where all the guiding rules and regulation of the service are contained.
Circulars: Letters from government which explains or given out guide lines on certain procedures and changes in the service. It is used to update the civil servants on some current changes and modification in the rules and regulations.