Service Compact (SERVICOM) and Service Delivery in the Nigerian Public Sector: A

This study was carried out to examine the effect of SERVICOM on service delivery in public institutions in Nigeria with particular reference to Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki. Specifically, the research among others sought to ascertain the extent to which SERVICOM has enhanced timely response to patients’ complaints in AE-FUTHA; to examine the extent to which SERVICOM has improved quality healthcare delivery in AE-FUTHA. The study was anchored on New Public Management Theory by Hood (1991). A descriptive survey design was adopted with a sample size of 380. Data for the study were obtained from the structured questionnaire, which were presented in frequency distribution tables for purpose of analysis. The findings of the study revealed among others - that there was significant positive relationship between SERVICOM and timely response to patients’ complaints in AE-FUTHA; that there was significant positive relationship between SERVICOM and improved quality healthcare delivery in AE-FUTHA. The implication of the findings is that SERVICOM is very strategic to entrenching efficient service delivery in the health facility. Therefore, the following recommendations among others were proffered: that SERVICOM unit in the health sector should be strengthened to always ensure reduction to delays in addressing the health and other related complaints of patients in the hospital; that there should be regular capacity building of the staff of the SERVICOM unit in the health institution to enable them sustain quality healthcare delivery in the hospital


Introduction
There is a near consensus among scholars that public sector in most third world countries signals the worst tendencies of the "dead hand" of bureaucracy, poor services, cumbersome red tape due to accumulation of excessive power, lack of accountability and representation, indifference towards public needs and demands, official secrecy and inaccessibility to necessary information and services (UN-ECA, 2009).Adeyinka and Omonowa (2015) opined that Nigerian public sector has been characterized by corruption, undue outside influences, individual and group selfish interests, etc and these have collectively undermined effective service delivery to the people.In the same vein, Iloh, Ofoedu, Njoku, Odu, Ifedigbo and Iwuamanam (2012) assert that government-owned tertiary hospitals in Nigeria have received the highest level of negative comments, both by the patients and the society.These negative comments range from poor quality of service delivery, service delay, discontinuity of care, indifferent staff attitude to bureaucratic redtapism which usually lead to poor public confidence in the healthcare facilities and this has made government hospitals unattractive to patients, who rather prefer private health institutions.
Service delivery therefore, means the tangible deliverables (goods and services) that are provided by government to make life meaningful to the citizenry.These include: provision of social services such as education and healthcare services; infrastructure (water, sanitation, roads, electricity, etc) and services that promote personal security such as (justice, police, etc) (Carlson, Landle, Fustukian, Katy, Sibbons and Sondorp, 2005).It was in a bid to tackle the problem of poor service delivery by public institutions that SERVICOM was introduced.SERVICOM simply means Service Compact with all Nigerians.This reform was seen as an effective strategy to enthrone effective service delivery in Nigeria.The history of SERVICOM is traced to the realization by the Olusegun Obasanjo's led administration that public administrators are employed to offer services to the people and that the citizens have the right to obtain meaningful services from any government.
To strengthen the operation of SERVICOM, there was the creation of SERVICOM chapter and units in most public organizations such as ministries and extra-ministerial departments in Nigeria.It is believed that the implementation of the SERVICOM principles in public sector 16(2) (December, 2023):607-627 p-ISSN: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.31609 organizations will reduce to the barest minimum the problems of poor quality service delivery, weak system for managing government finances, human resources and staff training.It is also argued that the principles of SERVICOM will change the mindset of civil/public servants in the discharge of their assigned duties.
As a public sector organization desirous to meet the needs of its clienteles in a timely, fairly and transparent manner, SERVICOM was introduced in the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA) in 2006.It is the expectation of the clienteles (patients and informal caregivers) of the health facility that stories of inefficiency and ineffectiveness will become history.
However, it is regrettable that despite the existence of the scheme in the hospital, patients and critical observers have continued to express concern over the quality of services rendered in the health facility.There are still cases of corruption, negligence and unprofessional conducts among some staff which in most cases result to death of patients.Moreso, patients still wait endlessly to receive attention from health workers in the hospital.There is still case of discrimination against clienteles on the basis of status, class, religion, etc.The foregoing ugly development casts doubt about people's awareness about the scheme and equally calls to question the rationale for establishing SERVICOM chapter in the hospital.
The broad objective of the study is to assess the effect of SERVICOM on service delivery in the Nigerian public sector using Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki as the study area.However, the specific objectives of this study are: 1.To ascertain the extent to which SERVICOM has enhanced timely response to patients' complaints in AE-FUTHA.2. To examine the extent to which SERVICOM has improved quality healthcare delivery in AE-FUTHA 3. To identify the extent to which SERVICOM charter has facilitated health workers commitment to duty in AE-FUTHA In view of the above objectives, the underlisted hypotheses would serve as guide to the study:

H01
SERVICOM has not enhanced timely response to patients' complaints in AE-FUTHA.opined that the aim of SERVICOM was to ensure that all citizens have equal opportunity and equitable access to all public services even as it stresses the importance of adequate information provision at every service point so as to remove bottleneck in service delivery.Headed that public servants should at all-time endeavour to provide services that could meet as well as exceed the expectations of their customers thereby avoiding complaints by getting things done in the right manner and at the right time.In the line of duty, public servants are expected to demonstrate the spirit of responsiveness/timeliness, competence, accessibility, courtesy, effective communication among others.Kirfi, Balarabe and Shantali (2013) argued that SERVICOM initiative facilitated inclusion of quality into government services using basically the Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy.
It is important to note that SERVICOM initiative perceives citizens as customers to public services, who deserve quality service delivery from the institutions.It ensures a sharp change in the orientation of Nigerian citizens to demand for quality services.In other words, they should consistently demand for quality service delivery as of right.This position is apt in that government was formed by social contract to adequately carter for the needs of the people.Any government that fails in area of quality service delivery to the citizens has no serous regard to the contract.In addition, the initiative places much premium on the need for public servants as agents of government to at all times ensure that government meets the yearnings and aspirations of the citizens through delivery of effective and efficient services.
It is worthy of note that SERVICOM views 'poor' or 'bad' services in practical terms that "someone has done what should not be done or left undone what should have been done (The SERVICOM Book, 2006).

Service Delivery
There is no doubt that government exists primarily for efficient and effective delivery of good services to the people.No government could claim to be people-oriented when it fails in its responsibility to promote the citizens' well being.Therefore, the tonic for government action is supposed to be the unquenchable desire to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people in terms of the expected public good or deliverables (Magbadelo, 2020).Simply put, service delivery means the provision of services to those who need them.It is one thing to provide services and yet another task to ensure that the services are well-delivered to the beneficiaries or clienteles.Every public institution has some objectives it is set out to achieve.To Magbadelo (2020) the sum total of the objective is the public goods and deliverables the institution is to deliver to the people.It could be safely argued that the success or otherwise of the institution is a function of its capacity to keep delivering those public goods and services effectively and efficiently in a sustainable manner to regularly meet people's needs (Obi and Nwokwu, 2022).
According to Obi, Uzor and Chukwurah (2020) service delivery is seen as the extent to which an individual, unit or department as well as organization carryout their assigned responsibilities.El-Rufai (2006) averred that service delivery is the extent to which an organization and/or employee discharges allotted responsibilities within the limit of time, money, and other essential resources for purpose of achieving overall organizational goals.The foregoing definitions bring to the fore the obvious fact that service delivery revolves around the ability of any institution or establishment to effectively and efficiently discharge its responsibilities in a sustainable manner with the sole purpose of achieving its set objectives.It is important to note that the goods and services which government provides are known as public goods (Oyedele, 2015).They are always consumed jointly by a large number of people and difficult to exclude people who cannot

Evaluating Public Service Delivery in Nigeria
At some point in the statehood of Nigeria, her public service was considered as the epitome of ideal bureaucracy.Nasir ( 2006) in Okechukwu et al (2016) defines public service as an agglomeration of all establishments that function as part of government machinery for delivery quality services.This includes: The civil service, the National Assemblies, the judiciary, the police and other security agencies such as immigration, customs, prisons as well as social service, infrastructure agencies, regulatory agencies, educational institutions and research institutes at federal and state levels.Obikeze (2011) perceives public service as all the services that are provided by individuals who work in government agencies, institutions, organizations and establishments.Kirfi et al (2013) argued that at independence in 1960, the public service was acknowledged as one of the most important legacies of the British colonial rule.As the service was modeled after the British civil service with its principles of non-partisanship and neutrality, the post independent public service was manifestly notable for its high technical standards, impartiality, anonymity and dedication.This public service in every sense of the word exhibited potential as an important tool to accelerate the socio-economic development of the country.
However, following the military incursion in the political landscape of the country beginning from the late 1960s, the growth of corruption in the system and the disruptive effect of massive purge in the public among other factors the public service gradually and systematically nosedived as an effective tool to drive good governance (Kirfi et al, 2013).It was argued that by Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.31613 the 1980s, the Nigerian public service had deteriorated to the level that it exhibited some obvious signs of decay nature of service delivery was largely described as chaotic, epileptic, unsatisfactory, shoddy, deplorable, insensitive, inflexible, non-cost effective (Oyedele, 2015).
Moreso, the Nigerian Public Service exhibited such dangerous attributes as lateness, absenteeism, needless delay, and bureaucratic redtapism, palpable negligence inexcusable incompetence, corruption, favouritism, lackluster and general lackadaisical attitude to work (Okon, 2008).Other ills as identified by the Ayida Panel included the following -politicization of the top echelon of the service, lack of financial accountability and probity, perpetual breakdown of discipline, institutionalization of corruption, disregard for rules among others (Adegoroye, 2005).
Two reasons have been identified as being responsible for the parlous condition of the Nigerian public service in achieving its mandates of facilitating governance.The first was the structural unprecedented growth lapses that occurred during the oil boom of the 1970s, when there was an expansion of the service without proportionate improvement in the administrative and professional capacities of public servants.The second was a combination of the human resources defects that crept into the system leading to over-centralization, incessant conflicts among cadres, inappropriate staff development practices, little emphasis on results and performance, etc (Obasanjo Reforms, 2004).On his own part, Magbadelo (2020)  The situation of the public service was largely responsible for public loss of confidence in the public sector organizations and in the government that owns and oversees the institutions.Ishaq (2013) argued that a good number of people in and outside government usually point to the good old days of the public service which is a clear indication that they desired a return of those days.
The uncomplimentary condition of the Nigerian Public Service was largely the push factor that The foregoing parlous situation of the public service particularly as it concerns service delivery moved President Olusegun Obasanjo to declare that the unpleasant manifestations of the appalling standard of service delivery in our country and the "Nigerian way of doing things" had to stop as it was "no longer business as usual" particularly with respect to public service delivery (Adegoroye, 2005).
Similarly, President Obasanjo in June 2003 lamented that: Nigerians have for too long been feeling service delivery.Also our public offices have over the years, been showcased for the combined evils of inefficiency and corruption with impediments of ineffective implementation of government policies.Nigerians deserve better, we will ensure that they get what is better (Adeyinka & Ema, 2015:36).However, the team carried out thorough study on service delivery in some ministries and parastatals and came up with the finding that public service was not serving the people.
Following the presentation of the team's report, a 'Special Presidential Retreat on Service Delivery was held between 19 th and 21 st March, 2004 during which the executive arm asserted full ownership of the SERVICOM initiative (Ogunrin & Erhiakpor, 2009).Consequently, the president and the ministers entered into SERVICE COMPACT WITH ALL NIGERIANS (SERVICOM) with its core provision which says: "we dedicate ourselves to providing the basic services to which each citizen is entitled in a timely, fair, honest, effective and transparent manner" (Oyedele, 2015: 38).
SERVICOM as a charter was aimed at driving Service Delivery Initiative (SDI) and instilling a new service orientation in the public sector.As a policy measure SERVICOM was designed to monitor service delivery in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and ensures that the services offered confirmed with the citizens' expectation even as it serves a facilitating paradigm for social accountability framework of public service delivery in Nigeria.Accordingly, the SERVICOM charter required all MDAs to publicize the description of their services, mission, and vision statement; details about customers; service delivery that customers may expect; and grievance redress mechanism.Moreso, the charter must also contain statement of services required from staff, management, customers and even government in order to ensure quality service delivery (The SERVICOM Book, 2006).

SERVICOM and Service Delivery in the Nigerian Public Sector Organizations
The introduction of the SERVICOM Charter in the Nigerian MDAs has brought about positive developments in the way and manner our public institution functions.It has re-awakened the undertake capacity building programmes for public servants to assist them deliver excellent services to the people (Okokon, 2022).
The SERVICOM charter has been acknowledged as a strategic document that communicates promises and commitments of services being provided by public organizations to their clienteles.The charter invariably contains realistic and measurable standard in key services thereby making Nigerians to begin to have confidence in public institutions.The SERVICOM story (2020) revealed that the coming on board of SERVICOM charter into the General Out Patients Department in some hospitals led to the introduction of early patients' assessment and appointment system, which have drastically reduced patients wait time even as long queues disappeared.Moreover, the patients waiting areas were improved through the provision of new better seating with fans properly mounted to cool the patients.There were also video messages in the waiting room to provide better information on different aspects of care.Staff wear badges for ease of identification.SERVICOM has come to stay in the Nigerian public service as a strategic tool to deliver quality services to the door steps of the citizenry.As we noted earlier, government should at all times ensure sustainable workers welfare, as well as make provision for adequate working materials.These core factors are essential for public servants to conscientiously deliver on the mandates of SERVICOM Charter.

Theoretical Framework
The research was anchored on the New Public Management Theory espoused by Hood (1991).
The theory is a sharp break from process and procedure to an arrangement that is workable, practicable and result-oriented.It stresses the rationale for institutional and organizational restructuring as one of the panaceas of increasing the performance of the public sector, which will invariably result to a better and improved service delivery (Igbokwe-Ibeto, 2015).In other words, the theory is result focused rather than the process of result.It has been argued that the theory is primarily concerned with modalities to deliver public goods efficiently and equitably.
The theory advocates the adoption of some of the salient principles that guide private business organizations, which include: Accountability and transparency, efficiency and effectiveness; reduction of public sector (cost) expenditure; improvement in resource use through labour discipline; flexibility in decision making; competition in the public sector through decentralization and emphasis on result and not procedure (Pollitt and Bouckaert, 2004:66).
Oronsanye (2010:31) averred that public service delivery could be perceived as "the process of meeting the needs of citizens through prompt and efficient procedures."Therefore, it means that The sample size was 380, which was determined using Taro Yameni formula (1964).Structured questionnaire was the major instrument for data generation designed in five Likert Scale while the formulated hypotheses were subjected to test using Pearson Product Moment Correlations Co-efficient via SPSS version 21 package.Meanwhile, out of the 380 copies of the instrument distributed, 375 copies were successfully filled and returned representing 98.68%, which were used for the analyses and test of hypotheses.

Test of Hypothesis One
H01: SERVICOM has not enhanced timely response to patients' complaints in AE-FUTHA.The finding agreed with Philip and Omonowa (2015) who opined that SERVICOM created opportunity for complaint redress mechanism and this has made public servants to be very conscious of their actions and inactions in relations to the public particularly in the line of duty.
The SERVICOM story (2020) revealed that the coming on board of SERVICOM charter into the General Out Patients Department in some hospitals led to the introduction of early patients' assessment and appointment system, which have drastically reduced patients wait time even as long queues disappeared.In addition, it has reduced the response time to patients' complaints.

H02
SERVICOM has not improved quality healthcare delivery in AE-FUTHA   the alternate hypothesis was accepted and it was upheld that SERVICOM has improved quality healthcare delivery in AE-FUTHA.

Contingency Table
The finding was corroborated by Tukur (2022) who maintained that SERVICOM has significantly promoted right attitudinal values in the public service and its workforce towards service delivery orientation and equally instilled the value of consciousness for the demand of rights to appropriate services.In addition, Philip and Omonowa (2015) argued that it has created a veritable opportunity for public servants in all sectors of the Nigerian economy to rededicate themselves for selfless service to the clienteles with courtesy and grace.The implication of the finding is that SERVICOM has strategically improved service delivery as it has consistently facilitated right attitude to work among personnel in the public sector organizations especially in the health institutions.

Test of Hypothesis Three
H03 SERVICOM charter has not facilitated health workers commitment to duty in AE-  The result of the test was as shown in the table below: The result of the test of hypothesis three above using Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 21 revealed a positive correlations coefficient of 0.818 which implied that there was significant positive relationship between SERVICOM Charter and health workers commitment to duty in AE-FUTHA.Moreover, the result showed a p-value of 0.041 which was less than the 0.05 level of significance.Consequent upon the decision rule, the null hypothesis was rejected

Conclusion
The realization that public offices/administrators are employed to render effective service to the people and that citizens have the fundamental right to obtain meaningful, motivated government to introduce SERVICOM.Simply put, the scheme is a child of necessity to address the concerns of poor service delivery received from public institutions by the citizenry.Although, the study found a positive relationship between SERVICOM and timely response to patients' complaints, improved quality healthcare delivery as well as health workers' commitment to work in the health institution, government has not shown much interest in the scheme.It is on the strength of the foregoing that this study posited that unless government shows political will towards the scheme (SERVICOM), its areas of strengths will be weakened thereby resulting to inefficiency and ineffectiveness in the Nigerian public institutions.

Recommendations
On the basis of the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made -1.That SERVICOM unit in the health facility should be strengthened by government through regular monitoring to encourage time consciousness among health workers in addressing health and other related complaints of patients in the hospital.
2. Government should ensure regular capacity building for staff of the SERVICOM unit in the health institution to enable them promote and sustain quality healthcare delivery in the hospital.
: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.31612 pay.For government to provide the goods, structures are created and suitably qualified personnel are selected to carryout responsibilities to achieve the objectives of the institutions.It is in this light thatAdegoroye (2006)  inOkechukwu et al (2016) argued that without an efficient and wellmotivated public service, the implementation of public policies and programmes may be a pipe dream thereby deteriorating the level of service provision to the citizenry.Abah and Nwokwu (2017) contended that public service remains the enduring link between the citizens and the state, the instrument through which resources are forecast, mobilized and channeled towards various policy objectives.
identified the following factors as being responsible for the deterioration in service delivery by the public sector organizationoverdependence on hierarchy and use of promotion examination for career advancement, absence of systematic training, poor conditions of service and low remuneration, incompetent leadership (politicization of the Office of the Head of Service as well as the Federal Civil Service Commission), outsourcing of certain services and programmes as well as haphazard deployment of personnel.
16(2) (December, 2023):607-627 p-ISSN: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.31614 motivated different regimes to initiate reform measures with a view to repositioning the administrative institution to play its role as an important machinery to bring about enduring socio-economic development in the country.One of which is SERVICOM.SERVICOM: A Historical OverviewPrior to the return of Nigeria to civil rule in 1999, its public service has been in a total mess.There was prevalent inefficiency and ineffectiveness in the administrative institution leading to government failure in meeting the yearning and aspirations of the citizenry.Adegoroye and El-  Rufai (2006)  cited inKirfi et al (2013) averred that the Nigerian public service suffered from undue bureaucratization, loss of direction, red-tapism in the performance of duty, general decline of efficiency and effectiveness, sluggishness in official decision and action, insensitivity to the value of time, irregular attendance to work, nepotism, subjectivism and favouritism in processes such as staff recruitment, performance assessment, promotion, contract award, wastefulness of government resources among others.Tukur (2022) argued that the poor social services orientation of the Nigerian public service has in many ways retarded the much desired national growth and development and thus encouraged other social vices as sharp practices and corrupt tendencies in the public sector.He further added that the level of decadence in the public sector had negatively impacted on the quality of service delivery to the citizens.
: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.31615 The federal government in her avowed effort to address the ugly situation, sought for British government's assistance and this led to the formation of team led by Dr.Mrs. Wendy Thompson, an adviser to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Public Service Reforms.Okechukwu et al (2016) averred that the team was to help Nigeria to a diagnostic audit of the system, examine institutional environment for service delivery, reflect on people's lives and experiences and draw a road map for a service delivery programme.
: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.31616 service culture in the consciousness of both the public servants and the clienteles.Adding their voices to the contribution of SERVICOM to service delivery in Nigeria,Philip and Omonowa (2015) stated that the service charter has provided opportunities in several ways both for the public servants and the citizenry.They argued that it has created a veritable opportunity for public servants in all sectors of the Nigerian economy to rededicate themselves for selfless service to the clienteles with courtesy and grace.In addition, they submitted that it has equally created room for repositioning the Nigerian public sector organizations for more effective service delivery.On the part of the citizenry, they averred that they have been sensitized about their rights to demand and insist on qualitative service.Finally, they opined that it created opportunity for complaint redress mechanism and this has made public servants to be very conscious of their actions and inactions in relations to the public particularly in the line of duty.More so,Adeyinka and Ema (2015) averred that SERVICOM programme has been lauded by Nigerians for facilitating attitudinal change in the public sector institutions, with the restoration of the core values and merit system of the Nigerian public service.In this same vein, Tukur (2022) maintained that SERVICOM has significantly promoted right attitudinal values in the public service and its workforce towards service delivery orientation and equally instilled the value of consciousness for the demand of rights to appropriate services.The National Coordinator/CEO of SERVICOM, Mrs. Nnenna Akajemeli argued that as it has been established that quality governance is achieved through quality of services delivered to the citizenry in keeping with their priority needs, SERVICOM ensures provision of such services by working with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).In addition, she further stated that SERVICOM has continued to coordinate the efforts of MDAs in the development and implementation of service charter while at the same time independently undertaking surveys on customers' satisfaction on public services.The unit has spearheaded public enlightenment campaigns to raise citizens' demand for satisfactory services from the MDAs as well as : 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.31618 the interactions between government and citizens are such that the yearnings and aspirations of the citizens are addressed in a timely manner(Nwekeaku & Obiora, 2019).The theory is relevant to this study in that the SERVICOM is established as scheme to encourage and institutionalized effective and efficient service delivery in the public sector organizations.It stresses results rather than observance of administrative procedure.Therefore, effective implementation of SERVICOM principles in the health facilities is key to ensuring timely and favourable response to the healthcare needs and other sundry complaints of patients.MethodologyDescriptive Survey design was adopted in this work.This type of design gives the researcher ample opportunity to select and study group of people or items considered to represent the census or total population.This research was carried out in Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.AE-FETHA was established following a merger of former Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki and the defunct Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in 2011.The hospital is composed of two annexes namely: AE-FUTHA I and AE-FUTHA II.AE-FUTHA I is situated in Abakaliki metropolis along Uga Street, Abakaliki beside the Nigeria Prison, Ebonyi State while AE-FUTHA II is located along KM 43 Abakaliki/Enugu Expressway.The population of this study stood at 7,732 (Seven thousand, seven hundred and thirty-two) comprising the staff, patients (both out-patients and in-patients) of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (Human Resources Unit, Directorate of Administration, AE-FUTHA 2022 and Hospital Records, AE-FUTHA, 2022).
: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.31620The result of the test of hypothesis one above using Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 21 indicated a positive correlations coefficient of 0.839 which implied that there was a positive significant relationship between SERVICOM and timely response to patients' complaints in AE-FUTHA.Moreso, the result revealed a p-value of 0.40 which is less than the 0.05 level of significance.Consequent upon the decision rule, the null hypothesis was rejected whereas the alternate hypothesis was affirmed that SERVICOM has enhanced timely response to patients' complaints in AE-FUTHA.
16(2) (December, 2023):607-627 p-ISSN: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.31621The above table showed that 256(68.27%) of the respondents strongly agreed that SERVICOM principles have improved service delivery in the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki; 101(26.93%) of them agreed while 03(0.8%) of them were undecided.Meanwhile, 10(2.67%) of the respondents disagreed whereas 05(1.33%) of them strongly disagreed with the assertion.This is a clear indication that SERVICOM principles are very necessary should there be improved service delivery in the health facility.Decision Rule: If the probability value (p-value) is less than the 0.05 level of significance, accept the alternate hypothesis and reject the null hypothesis.On the other hand, if the probability value (p-value) is greater than the 0.05 level of significance, reject the alternate hypothesis and accept the null hypothesis.In the test of hypothesis one, data collected from field survey through the structured questionnaire were organized, collated and transformed into scaled data.The transformed scaled data were computed and analyzed using Pearson's Product Moment Correlations Coefficient through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 21).The result of the test was as shown in the table below: 16(2) (December, 2023):607-627 p-ISSN: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.31623 90(24%) of them agreed while 10(2.67%) of them were undecided.However, 16(4.27%) of the respondents disagreed whereas 20(5.33%) of them strongly disagreed with the assertion.This goes to show that SERVICOM principles have always encouraged workers commitment in the health institution.Decision Rule: If the probability value (p-value) is less than the 0.05 level of significance, accept the alternate hypothesis and reject the null hypothesis.On the other hand, if the probability value (p-value) is greater than the 0.05 level of significance, reject the alternate hypothesis and accept the null hypothesis.In the test of hypothesis one, data collected from field survey through the structured questionnaire were organized, collated and transformed into scaled data.The transformed scaled data were computed and analyzed using Pearson's Product Moment Correlations Coefficient through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 21).
: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.31624 while the alternate hypothesis was accepted and it was upheld that SERVICOM Charter has facilitated health workers commitment in AE-FUTHA.The finding agreed with Adeyinka and Ema (2015), who averred that SERVICOM programme has been lauded by Nigerians for facilitating attitudinal change in the public sector institutions, with the restoration of the core values (commitment to work) and merit system of the Nigerian public service.In the same vein, Tukur (2022) contended that SERVICOM has significantly promoted right attitudinal values in the public service the health facility inclusive.The implication of the finding is that SERVICOM has helped in no small measure to promote right attitude to work (commitment) among public servants, which is important to enthrone effective service delivery in the Nigerian health institution.
SERVICOM is one of the major aspects of President Obasanjo's reform.The acronym simply means "Service Compact with all Nigerians".In other words, it is a deal or covenant entered among public servants to ensure efficient and effective service delivery in a timely, fair, honest Okechukwu, Ukeje & Ekwunife (2016)SSN: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.31610H02SERVICOM has not improved quality healthcare delivery in AE-FUTHA.H03 SERVICOM charter has not facilitated health workers commitment to duty in AE-FUTHA.andtransparentmanner to Nigerian citizens.In the words of Ogunrin and Erhijakpor (2009) SERVICOM was Nigerian government laudable effort to instill quality into government services.They went further to adduce that the initiative was informed by the urgent need to eradicate inefficiency and corruption from the Nigerian public sector and introduce quality into government services at all levels.Moreso, Oswald inOkechukwu, Ukeje & Ekwunife (2016)

Table 1 : Responses on Whether SERVICOM has Improved Response Time to Complaints Emanating from Patients in AE-FUTHA
16(2) (December, 2023):607-627 p-ISSN: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.31619 Contingency Table Decision Rule: If the probability value (p-value) is less than the 0.05 level of significance, accept the alternate hypothesis and reject the null hypothesis.On the other hand, if the probability value (p-value) is greater than the 0.05 level of significance, reject the alternate hypothesis and accept the null hypothesis.In the test of hypothesis one, data collected from field survey through the structured questionnaire were organized, collated and transformed into scaled data.The transformed scaled data were computed and analyzed using Pearson's Product Moment Correlations Coefficient through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 21).The result of the test was as shown in the table below:

Table 2 : Correlations Test of Hypothesis One
*. Correlation is not significant at the 0.04 level (2-tailed).

Table 4 : Correlations Test of Hypothesis Two
Version 21 revealed a positive correlations coefficient of 0.826 which implied that there was significant positive relationship between SERVICOM and improved quality healthcare delivery in AE-FUTHA.Moreover, the result showed a p-value of 0.041 which was less than the 0.05 16(2) (December, 2023):607-627 p-ISSN: 2787-0367; e-ISSN: 2787-0359 Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i2.31622 level of significance.Consequent upon the decision rule, the null hypothesis was rejected while

Table 5 : Responses on Whether Staff of the AE-FUTHA always Demonstrate Serious Commitment to Work due to SERVICOM Principles
The above table showed that 239(63.73%) of the respondents strongly agreed that staff of the AE-FUTHA always demonstrate serious commitment to work due to SERVICOM principles;

Table 6 : Correlations Test of Hypothesis Three
. Correlation is not significant at the 0.041 level (2-tailed). *