RISE OF PRE - RETIREMENT PHOBIA AND CORRUPTION: IMPLICATIONS ON PRODUCTIVITY OF NIGERIA CIVIL SERVICE

Abstract

Retirement and its related issues constitute challenges with untoward antecedents in the developing countries and more so in Nigeria where corruption has permeated structures of governance including the civil service. The narratives surrounding pre-retirement phobia and the pitiable notion attributed to post-retirement experiences indicate the susceptibility of workers to the unwholesome influence of the corruption craze that is mainstream and endemic in the country. This paper is an exposition on the issue of pre retirement phobia as it pertains to Nigeria civil service; it attempts to establish how phobia apparently encourages corruption and undermines viability among civil servants before retirement. The paper argues that recent studies indicate that this phobia is resultant of inadequate/non-preparation of prospective retirees prior to retirement, foreseen governments’ inconstant payment of gratuity/pension and economic downturn with attendant post employment uncertainty which    heightens anxiety and desperation that drives indulgence in acts of dishonesty ahead of retirement as a pre-retirement plan; thus contributing to the rise of corrupt practices among some civil servants and low productivity of Nigeria civil service. It recommends that retirement should not be an issue of desperation among civil servants despite the inherent fears associated with it in Nigeria, but an experience prospective retirees (workers) should confront through the adoption of positive attitudes, sensitization of workers on the bad influence of pre-retirement phobia via workshops; effective reformation of the management of pensions scheme and prioritize of retirement management in human resource management units of the Nigeria civil service.