INSECURITY AND JOB SATISFACTION AMONG PRIMARY HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN SELECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

The study examined the effect of insecurity on job satisfaction among primary health care workers in Oruk Anam, Essien Udim and Ukanafun Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State. The study employed expost facto research design. Population of the study consisted of all the staff of the primary health care centres in the study areas. The sample of the study consisted of 90 respondents derived from the population using simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected with researcher’s designed research instrument entitled: “Insecurity and Satisfaction Assessment Scale (ISAS)”. The research instrument-ISAS were validated by experts and obtained .82 reliability using Cronbach Alpha Coefficient. Data were collected and analysed using percentage mean scores. The results revealed that the respondents perceived that the level of insecurity in the workplace environment is high. Meanwhile, the respondents perceived the level of satisfaction in their workplace in terms of insecurity as they are not satisfied (55.56%). The results also indicate that insecurity threatens the satisfaction level of the staff by making the workplace not comfortable; eroding the interest, attention, and zeal for active participation. However, the results indicate that males were the primary target because they are presumed to be combatants who can defend and counter the plans of the criminals (violators). It is therefore concluded that the high level of insecurity experienced by public servants in the course of delivering their statutory responsibilities has shown to have remarkable negative effect on the job satisfaction. Against this, it is recommended that Government and corporate individuals as a matter of urgency should provide strategic security mechanisms that will eliminate psyche of threat in the public organization.