E-Governance and Service Delivery in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service

Edet Joshua Tom1, Ukpong Stephen Akpan2 & Ebong Itoro Bassey3
1,2,3 Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
DOI – http://doi.org/10.37502/IJSMR.2024.71112

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Abstract

The e-payment systems and digital payroll technologies as part of e-governance were expected to increase transparency and accountability through accurate transaction tracking, prevention of ghost worker fraud, and streamlining administrative processes, ultimately leading to cost savings and better management. There is however a debate among scholars on the effectiveness of e-governance on service delivery. This study explored the impact of e-governance on service delivery in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service.  The work adopted descriptive method which allowed it to rely on documentary evidence as its source of data collection to examine how digitization and e-payment systems affects ghost worker fraud and financial corruption within the Akwa Ibom State civil service.  Public Value Theory served as the theoretical framework. The study found that while advances in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have significantly improved service delivery in developed nations, developing countries like Nigeria face a notable digital divide. This divide is due to factors such as limited technology access, inadequate infrastructure, resistance to change, and the dearth of skilled ICT personnel. To build on the successes of e-governance, the study recommended among others implementation of comprehensive bio-metric systems to ensure payroll accuracy.

Keywords: Corruption, E-Governance, Digitization, E- Payment, Service Delivery.

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