Unlike many other states in Nigeria, Rivers under the present administration appears to understand the prevailing trend across the world – the dot com revolution. In fact, government has already a special adviser to the governor on Information and Communication Technology (lCT).

Of course, the government hopes to adopt e-governance with the ICT project. The other attractions include the reduction of corruption through transparency that the process would engender. The issues of efficiency in government business and the maintenance of a dependable database make the programme very reasonable.

But for the civil servant, there should be a concern because government wou1d want to measure efficiency by the numbers of people that were used to accomplish set tasks. With the full deployment of information and communication technology (ICT) in the state, so many civil servants may become redundant.

Although no responsible government would throw out thousands of civil servants on the account of ICT non-compliance, the ability to be lCT compliant in the shortest possible time might become an issue of great consequence for many people working for government.

Indeed, the Rivers State Government has made great progress in the process, yet for many people, the programme is still a dream. Government has opened a website where the world gets to see the activities, policies and aspirations of the state by the push of a button.

The state has also issued lap-top computers to some directors and held seminars in line with the programme. Sadly, not much of that has been felt in the system, especially the parastatals. Indeed, the communication sub-sector’ of the state stands almost isolated. Yet, this is one sector that should lead the way in ICT.

It is on record that at the very beginning of the Governor Chibuike Amaechi government, the Energy Ministry demonstrated great understanding of the subject when all the major staff were issued with laptops. This was happening when some Editors were feeling sorry for daring to ask for laptops from the government.

The way it is, nobody, especially civil servants, should wait for government to key into the dot com age. The ICT phenomenon has become a way of life and anybody that sits on the fence can only have him/herself to blame. Even so, if the civil service must be digitalised, government must do much more than it is doing now.

Although Rivers State appears to be ahead of many states, it is late in adopting the policy. Already, the world has been digitalised and the state cannot do too much to get there. Even if the private sector may have made great progress, the inability of the civil service to operate in it keeps the nation behind.

However backward the civil service in Nigeria would be seen, it is the formal sector; it is the standard or measure for a number of things, including technological advance. This is more so because the civil service must lead and provide standards for the private sector to follow.

If the truth must be told private sector has already taken the lead in ICT. In every transaction or interaction that would have to do with lCT, the civil servant would only emulate firms like those in the petroleum industry. How this would short-change the state can be many.

Many years ago, the oil industry trained and equipped its staff to function through the computer. Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) for example, moved from carrying paper files to moving electronic files to a large extent.

Clearly, the company has its database electronically, where mere office memos are done on computers and the incidence of human contact was drastically reduced. Of course, the company reduced staff massively and called it “right sizing” and not the former down sizing. It is still not clear if it was because of the computerization of their operations. Total, Mobil, Chevron and Agip, among others, have long implemented the e-workplace strategy.

For firms in the private sector, who have dealings with government, the ICT programme must be music in their ears. This is because a lot had gone wrong with accessing files because some staff are “not on seat” in the ministries. Even avoidable is the many tricks clerks play to make people pay for their files to be brought out for action.

For such staff, the game is almost up and the many system-based corruption may have their days numbered. This is what the ordinary civil servant whose pay does not take home would not want to happen. It follows, therefore, that if the civil servants may not be too keen to change the system, government should.

But till date, the ICT programme of the state is still in walking progress. It is bad enough that 90 per cent of civil servants are still computer novices; the state is yet to think about making the service work through the ICT initiative. At least, people should call up files, update files and pass out memos electronically.

If it must be stated, being visible on the internet is not the true definition of e-governance. It necessarily must include a domestic data management system for the individual ministries and parastatals and that of the state as a whole. Similarly, the local governments must also become ICT compliant in ways that must make sense.

The way forward is for the policy on ICT to be pursued so vigorously that no one in public employment remains ignorant. Also important is for computers, especially lap-tops to be among the personal properties of all officers of the civil service in the shortest possible time. If not issued free, the cost must be subsidised.

Also of essence is the review of the training programme of government workers. This means that leaders in the civil service would make available and even increase budget for training in all the MDAs. Until recently, training budgets are freely diverted.

Many years ago, the world started the talk about paperless office. In the West, it is almost achievable, but in the emerging democracies of the world like Nigeria, not much has changed. While the school system has changed and now starts with the exercise book instead of the slate, the civil service cannot afford to stay stagnant.

Today, the www dot com world is fast leaving Nigeria behind. Yes, the government may believe in it, only the civil service can make it work, and in good time. Until the service flows with the system, there cannot be e-governance.

Robinson writes from Port Harcourt.

Erefaa Robinson