TheNewsGuru

Tag: Civil Service

  • Gov Okpebholo probes Obaseki’s recruitment into Edo civil service

    Gov Okpebholo probes Obaseki’s recruitment into Edo civil service

    Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State on Friday suspended recruitment into the state’s Civil Service until further notice.

    The governor also ordered review of all recruitments carried out by former Gov. Godwin Obaseki between May and November 2024.

    A statement by the Secretary to State Government (SSG), Musa  Ikhilor, accused heads of various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of carrying out clandestine recruitments into the state’s Civil Service.

    “The governor is in receipt of report of the clandestine activities being perpetuated by some Commissions, Boards, Parastatals and Agencies of government in the state.

    “Preliminary investigation reveals that these bodies have continued to issue back dated letters of employment to their cronies without due process.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, this administration believes in the principle of fairness and equity, which expects that all employment exercise should be merit based, competitive and accessible to all Edo indigenes.

    “In light of the foregoing and in order to arrest this ugly trend, the governor has directed the immediate suspension of all employment processes.

    “As well as the review of all appointments carried out since May, 2024 by Commissions, Boards, Parastatals and Agencies of Government.

    “Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies are to note and comply with the above directive,” the statement said.

  • Workers kick as FG suspends sale of subsidised rice

    Workers kick as FG suspends sale of subsidised rice

    A cross section of civil servants in Abuja have expressed concerns over the suspension of the sale of Federal Government’s subsidised rice at N40, 000 per bag of 50 kilograms.

    They made their feelings known after discovering the sudden disappearance of officials at different registration units for the purchase of the rice.

    Recall that the Federal Government promised to sell 30, 000 metric tonnes of 50 kilograms bags of milled rice to Nigerians at subsidised rate of N40, 000.

    While inaugurating the scheme, Mr Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security explained that the move by the government was part of its intervention and efforts to crash the prices of food items in Nigerian markets.

    The sale commenced and lasted for over a week, before it was put on hold without notice, an action, workers that were yet to benefit from, decried.

    Speaking with NAN, Mrs Mary Nwachukwu, said she was surprised and disturbed when she got to the point of payment at the federal secretariat and found out the officials were not on duty.

    `I was encouraged to come to the registration unit at the secretariat, only for me to be told that the whole thing has been suspended.

    “Nobody knows what may happen next and if the scheme will still continue,’’ she asked.

    Mrs Kudirat Muktah, another civil servant who said she experienced delay in accessing the rice at the initial stage, frowned at the suspension order

    “I was here for two days to get my name registered, but because of the huge crowd, I decided to wait until it eases off, only to be told now that the exercise has been suspended.

    “What I heard from the grapevine was that the suspension was as a result of the rowdiness and chaos at the registration and payment point.

    “If they can adopt a better method of access to the rice, it will be better for us,’’ she said.

    Mr Sylvester Edwards, equally expressed disappointment at the news of the suspension of the sale of the rice, even after he had struggled for two days to get his name written down.

    “My brother, I spent two days here before I could register my name, waiting to be called for the rice, but now I am hearing another story.

    “Although, we heard that the rice will be accessed through another method, but we cannot trust this government.

    “The palliative rice will, to some extent ease the burden of hunger, so, it is important for the government to bring it back,’’ he said.

    Meanwhile, finding by NAN confirmed that there was a new arrangement on ground for the purchase of the rice, to end the cumbersome process.

    An authoritative source in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, who pleaded anonymity, said it was not the office that coordinated the scheme as speculated.

    The source said that the palliative rice was being handled by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) after it was inaugurated by the minister.

    On the suspension of the sale, the source said that the registration of beneficiaries was ordered to be stopped due to the rowdiness, noise and chaos within the HOS premises.

    “People could no longer attend to work in their offices as a result of this exercise. Therefore, we have to suspend it.

    “We also read the report by your agency about people groaning and facing difficulty in accessing the government’s 50Kg bag of rice at N40,000.

    The plan on ground is to decentralise the purchase by involving ministries and the agencies under them. The core civil servant will register in their ministries while those in the agencies will register with their parent ministries,’’ the source said.

    The source, advised officials at MDAs to liaise with their mother ministries to get details of the new payment and distribution method of the palliative rice.

  • Oyo govt. to recruit 791 civil servants

    Oyo govt. to recruit 791 civil servants

    Oyo State Government says process is on to recruit 791 new officers into various cadres of its mainstream civil service.

    Chairman of the State Civil Service Commission, Alhaji Kamoru Aderibigbe, made this known on Wednesday in Ibadan while speaking with newsmen.

    Aderibigbe said that the recruitment would involve absorption of 230 education officers and 561 others into the mainstream civil service.

    He stated that the recruitment would be the highest into the mainstream civil service in the last two decades.

    According to him, the prospective applicants would be required to log into the state government job portal: www.jobportal.oyostate.gov.ng from Oct. 7 to Oct. 11.

    He noted that the online application would enhance due diligence, fairness and equity of the recruitment process.

    “Applicants into cadres requiring a degree must be university graduates with minimum of second class honours division, while applicants into cadres that require Higher National Diploma (HND) certificate must be polytechnic graduates with a minimum of lower credit.

    “All university and polytechnic graduates must possess NYSC discharged certificates or exemption certificates as at the time of the recruitment process.

    “Equally, applicants into cadres requiring the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) must be graduates with minimum of merit,” he said.

    Aderibigbe said that the commission would ensure competence in the discharge of its duties, without any political interference.

  • New HoS sends strong warning to civil servants

    New HoS sends strong warning to civil servants

    Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, the new Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF) has warned there is no place for those who are not computer-literate in the nation’s civil service.

    Walson-Jack stated this on Wednesday in Abuja, while supervising Confirmatory Promotional Examination (COMPRO) conducted for public servants in 45 centres nationwide.

    She tasked public servants to acquire computer knowledge, so as to fit for the new civil service operations.

    “For public servants to be relevant in today’s civil service under the digitisation programme, you must be computer-literate,’’ she said.

    Walson-Jack disclosed that the Federal Government was transforming the service to meet global standards, adding that civil servants who were yet to have knowledge of computer must do so.

    Represented by Mr Raymond Omachi, Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, in the HOCSF office, Walson-Jack said the examination was conducted for 12,444 candidates nationwide.

    She said the examination, conducted in collaboration with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), was written by newly-appointed officers across the public service, including para-military.

    Walson-Jack said the reason behind the initiative was to make the exercise transparent.

    “From what we have seen, I think the process is seamless, I have been told that everything is going on well,’’ she said

    She thanked JAMB for the seamless exercise.

    Mrs Funmilola B-Usman, Acting Director, Information Technology Services at JAMB, who represented the board, described the initiative as a “great one’’. She expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the candidates at the examination halls.

    “It is great and surprising that the candidates are actually in tune with the system. Their attitude and posture portrayed that they are very ready for the exercise and that’s exactly what we are seeing now,” she said.

  • My appointment by Tinubu is a divine assignment – New HoS

    My appointment by Tinubu is a divine assignment – New HoS

    Mrs Esther Wilson-Jack has said her appointment as the new Head of Service of the Federation by President Bola Tinubu is a divine assignment.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Mrs Wilson-Jack to have said this on Friday when Mrs Folashade Esan, the outgoing HoS presented her successor to President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Wilson-Jack said she was grateful to the President for appointing her as the Head of Service of the federation.

    “I see it as a divine assignment and I had the opportunity to assure Mr President that by the grace of God I will not disappoint him.

    “I come as a servant of all to work together, not only with the permanent secretaries but also with the directors and the entire civil service to enable us deliver on the Renewed Hope Agenda,” she said.

    Meanwhile, the outgoing HoS said the President made the transition seamless as Wilson-Jack, the incoming HoS, spent some weeks with her learning the ropes.

    She said she was sure that Wilson-Jack was ready to hit the ground running.

    “We also had a good time with Mr President, sharing his vision for the country, especially for the civil service with us.

    “This should prepare the incoming Head of Service so that she can achieve all that Mr President has discussed with us,” she said.

    She added that the newly appointed Head of Service was capable, very intelligent, hardworking, and a professional with a lot of empathy.

    “I have no doubt in my mind that she will do the job very well. One thing that is important for her to understand is that civil service is the arm that will deliver on Mr President’s promises to the country.

    “So, she needs to ensure that the service is up and doing to ensure that the promises are fulfilled,” said Esan.

  • 60 directors jostle for 12 perm sec positions in Kogi

    60 directors jostle for 12 perm sec positions in Kogi

    No fewer than 60 senior Directors have been shortlisted to jostle for 12 Permanent Secretary positions in the Kogi State civil service.

    The directors are to write an examination with the best expected to take the seats.

    The Kogi State Head of Civil Service, Mr Elijah Evinemi, disclosed this while addressing newsmen at the examination centre on Wednesday in Lokoja.

    Evinemi assured the directors that the examination would be a fair, transparent and credible.

    He said that the initiative was part of the efforts by Governor Usman Ododo to promote quality service delivery and ensure credible Civil Service reform for optima productivity.

    He said the directors were from the 12 Local Government Areas with vacancies the positions.

    Evinemi disclosed that the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), had been engaged to handle the exercise that would be preceded by two days of  lectures and training.

    He commended the PSIN management for a well-structured training process handled by highly experienced resource persons.

  • Cross River govt lifts 25-year embargo on civil service employment

    Cross River govt lifts 25-year embargo on civil service employment

    Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has lifted the 25-year embargo on employment into the State civil service.

    Dr Erasmus Ekpang, Commissioner for Information, made this known in an interview in Calabar on Wednesday.

    While noting that the last time mass employment took place in the service was in 1999, Ekpang said 2,000 people are to be recruited in the first phase.

    He said the recruitment exercise which will with immediate effect, will be carried out across all the Ministry Department and Agencies (MDAs).

    “The immediate past administration  actually tried to employ but when the present government came in, lots of flaws were discovered in that exercise.

    “As we speak, the State civil service is almost depleted and we are indeed happy that the governor has considered it necessary to recruit at this point in time,” he stated.

    When asked if the state will pay the N70,000 minimum wage, the commissioner said:”that will be considered at the appropriate time”.

    In another development, Gov. Otu has commended the people of the state for not participating in the nationwide “Hunger Protest” which began on Aug. 1.

    He specifically commended  youths for deeming it fit to allow peace reign in the state.

    Cross River to recruit 31 doctors, 153 nurses, others

    Meanwhile, Gov Bassey Otu of Cross River, has approved the recruitment of 31 medical doctors, 153 nurses and 22 pharmacists to address the manpower deficit in the state health sector.

    Dr Henry Ayuk, the Commissioner for Health, disclosed this at a press briefing on Wednesday  in Calabar.

    Ayuk said that the decision to employ more health personnel was aimed at improving healthcare services delivery in the state.

    “Just 20 doctors and 938 nurses in our secondary healthcare facilities serving a population of approximately 3.4 million people is a worrisome situation.

    “As a government, we are poised to address this. This move is to bridge the gap in human capacity, and to equip the sector with the needed manpower.

    “Workforce in the health sector will soon be strengthened, this will have a tremendous impact on healthcare service coverage in the state,” he said.

    The commissioner also said that the governor’s approval had been transmitted to relevant implementing organs of government for immediate action.

    “The State Planning Commission, Office of the Head of Service, and the Civil Service Commission have been communicated to immediately commence the employment process,” he said.

  • Reps to investigate promotion stagnation in civil service

    Reps to investigate promotion stagnation in civil service

    The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate promotion stagnation in the Federal Civil Service from 2013 to 2023.

    The resolution was sequel to a motion moved by Rep. Salman Idris, the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Agric Colleges and Institutions in Abuja.

    He said that promotion remained the progression of civil servant as well as a motivational incentive for productivity.

    Idris decried the incessant stagnation in promotions across Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.

    This according to him had resulted in loss of service delivery, decline in highly specialized skills, low levels of productivity and performance, employee unrest, corruption and dampened morale.

    “The menace of promotion stagnation in the civil service calls for urgent attention and intervention of this hallowed chamber, if the policies and programmes of Government must be achieved.”

    He said that the civil service remained the engine room of government, adding that it required a holistic reform that could promote global best practices.

    He added that the issues of promotions and recommendations as and when due was imperative and should not be overlooked.

    Idis said some civil servants who eventually get promoted and undergo mandatory examination as required by civil service rules were promoted notionally but not financially.

    He added that every NDAs Ministry, often make provision for such recurrent expenditure in the yearly appropriation.

    He said that every promotion stagnation would have effect on the career of the officer.

    He added that every civil servant was expected to rise to the pinnacle of their career within 35 years in active service or by the retirement age of 60 year.

    The house ruled that the committee on public sector and institutional reforms should investigate promotion stagnation in the Federal Civil Service from 2013 –2023.

    The house stated that this is with a view to having a robust civil service at this critical stage of the nation’s development and report back to the House within 4 weeks.

  • Nigeria’s civil service best in the world – Yemi-Esan

    Nigeria’s civil service best in the world – Yemi-Esan

    Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), says Nigeria has the best civil service in the world.

    Yemi-Esan stated this on Saturday in Abuja during a sporting event organised for workers as part of activities to mark the 2024 Civil Service Week.

    According to her, Nigerian civil servants are hard working, intelligent, adding that, “they can look after their own health for greater productivity in the course of discharging their duties.

    “You know I am always proud of civil and public servants because Nigeria has the best civil service in the world and I can say that confidently anywhere”.

    She expressed satisfaction with high turnout of the civil servants from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies at the events.

    “I recall three or four years ago, we only used to have a handful of civil servants and today, the numbers that are here have increased tremendously.

    “Thank you for a very good turnout today, you know this sporting activities, you don’t have to take it for granted because if we are not healthy, we can’t give the country the best that we have.

    “And please this exercise is very important for us to be productive and to give our very best, our body system must be healthy enough.

    “Apart from today’s sporting exercise, always ensure to visit our wellness centre to exercise yourself. I am sure a lot of civil servants don’t even know where the centre is. Some people are taking advantage of the centre, some are not,” she said.

    Yemi-Esan said the government invested a lot of resources at the wellness centre towards ensuring healthy civil servants with sound mind to offer their best.

    Also speaking, Minister of Sport Development, Mr John Enoh, lauded Yemi-Esan for sustaing the initiative since assuming office, especially during the annual Civil Service Week.

    According to Enoh, the required results are always achievable with the an active administrator put in place whether elective or appointive office, adding that the HoS has made a remarkable legacy in the sector.

    “When you have an active administrator in an office, whether the officer is elected, appointed, you would see the required results.

    “In the course of my journey here this morning , I was just reflecting and I imagined the great initiative that started these programmes on physical fitness, the programme on exercises for the public servants.

    “And I think that the head of service has done a great job for everyone who is here, and I will like to commend her for such initiative.

    “And I thank the Head of Service for succeeding this tradition looking at the kind of excitement that I find, it appears that there are some of you that wish that this took place everyday just to keep you physically fit,”  Enoh said.

    The initiative, she said, was an added advantage to keep civil servants alert mentally for productivity, stressing that, “its sustainability is very necessary and vital”.

    Earlier, Dr Deborah Bako, Permanent Secretary, Service Policy and Strategies Office (SPSO) office of HOCSF, said the inclusion of sport activities as part of events to mark civil service week was imperative to acquire mental ability.

    Also, Mr Aliyu Tajudeen, Sport Manager, Ministry of Education, said that involving civil servants in sporting activities was highly recommended to promote productivity.

    Highlights of the include athletics like running, football, aerobatics, cycling among others.

  • Workers living abroad who earn salaries in Nigeria exposed – HOCSF

    Workers living abroad who earn salaries in Nigeria exposed – HOCSF

    Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), said the recent physical verification exercise by her office, exposed workers living abroad but still earning salaries from the service.

    Yemi-Esan revealed this during a chat with media executives on Wednesday in Abuja, being part of activities to mark 2024 Civil Service Week.

    The theme for 2024 celebration is ‘Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa’.

    The HoCSF said many of the civil servants, who were caught up in their games, had to resign their appointments, following their failure to carry out the physical verification exercise.

    According to her, the verification exercise was one of the measures by her office, to check corrupt practices, run a smooth civil service and reposition the sector.

    “Recently, there was a circular that went out to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that, they should do a physical headcount in their MDAs.

    “That means, everybody on the nominal roll, that is receiving salaries, should appear physically and the names of those who did not show up for the exercise should be forwarded.

    “In the circular, I cautioned that Permanent Secretaries and CEOs that give wrong information will be held liable if anything is discovered outside of the information that was given,” she said.

    The HOCSF added that the decision by the government was that, after the exercise, they would stop the salaries of those, in one way or the other, had left the service without proper documentation, but still earning renumeration.

    “From what I saw, the number of people that have gone out of the country and are still earning salaries, is more in the parastatals than in the core ministries.

    “I actually called one of the heads of the agencies and queried why there is such a number of people earning salaries and are not on their desks.

    “I asked how the agency come about such a huge number of the purported workers,” she said

    Yemi-Esan said the reply she got was that some of the civil servants even returned from the UK for the verification exercise.

    Yemi-Esan said: “The Head of that agency told me that he discovered that, a week after the verification exercise,  some of them rushed from the UK to the country, with the intention to do their own verification

    “He said they came to him saying,  aah! Oga, we are around; we heard they did verification.

    “The agency head, asked them to come back in two weeks time for their verification; knowing fully well that  nobody working in the UK, will be able to have such luxury of time,” she said.

    The HOCSF said from the incident narrated to her, most of the affected workers had to resign their appointments because they knew that the game was over.

    She decried the situation, where civil servants who did not have official permission to be out of their office, would travel out of the country for years, and still earning salaries.

    Yemi-Esan added that such development was unacceptable, when there were millions of Nigerians waiting to be employed.

    She also used the opportunity of the event, to appreciate media partners whom she described as “backbone for the successful reforms carried out” by her office since her assumption of duty.

    Yemi-Esan disclosed that so far, “69,308 civil servants who participated in the compulsory verification exercise have been fully integrated into the IPPIS after their verifications.

    She also said that the verification exercise exposed 1,618 civil servants with ‘fake/illegal’ employment letters.

    Salary harmonisation, a gradual process – Yemi-Esan

    Meanwhile, Dr Yemi-Esan has said the Federal Government has not abandoned the issue of salary harmonisation in the civil service.

    Yemi-Esan made the disclosure during a chat with media executives on Wednesday in Abuja, being part of activities to mark 2024 Civil Service Week.

    Yemi-Esan said salary harmonisation would go through gradual processes because it would be a difficult task to bring down those who were already receiving higher pay.

    Civil servants in some federal parastatals agencies have been agitating over higher salaries being received by some civil servants in some other government agencies.

    The situation had caused some civil servants to demand  harmonisation, so as to balance the gap, especially looking at the economic realities and the fact that they all go to the same market.

    The HoCSF explained that in addressing the issue, the first step they took was the approval of peculiar allowance, which was being paid to civil servants, receiving low salary.

    “It is going to be a continuous thing because, it is difficult to bring down people that are already receiving  higher salary.

    “What we will continue to do, is to increase the take home of those on the lower rank untill we have the very needed balance.

    “We have started working on this, that was why the 40 per cent peculiar allowance was given, in an effort to close that gap, ” she said.

    Recall that there was an increase in salary, tagged ‘Consequential Allowance’, that led to a 40 per cent rise in the pay of certain low income earners in civil service during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.