A civil society group, Concerned Patriots For The Integrity And Renewal Of The Public Service, has expressed great alarm at an illegal, unprecedented, appalling and shocking development in the Civil Service bordering on a spirited move to extend the tenure of some hand-picked government employees.
Already, tension and rage have gripped the Federal Civil Service over ongoing secret moves to grant tenure extension to some handpicked top civil servants who are due for retirement.
The bid, which is occurring below the radar and without the prior knowledge of President Bola Tinubu or the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Esther Walson-Jack, is allegedly being perpetrated,among others, by political appointees loyal to a Minister whose office is in Garki area of Abuja, the nation’s capital.
A statement by a group, Concerned Patriots For the Integrity and Renewal of the Public Service, dated May 30, and signed by its National Coordinator, Mr Ademola Adegoke, disclosed these.
According to Adegoke, the move has unsettled many senior civil servants as well as lower ranked ones who feel a sense of betrayal.
Our investigations show that a list containing several names, at least three being very senior civil servants due for retirement within months, has been forwarded to the Office of the President for approval to extend their tenure beyond statutory retirement age.
Among them is a Permanent Secretary.
The statement added: ” Tenure extension for civil servants directly violates Public Service Rules (PSR), especially Rule 020810 Chapter Two (2) which states that ‘the compulsory retirement age for all grades in the service shall be 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier, and no officer shall be allowed to remain in service after attaining the retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of service’.
“Civil service watchers say it is trite knowledge that no officer can remain in service after reaching either of these retirement criteria; meaning there is no provision for extensions or continued employment beyond the specified age or service duration.
“Serving and retired civil servants, stakeholders and keen watchers of developments in the service are agreed that it is an aberration for any civil servant due for retirement, to be ‘blessed’ with tenure extension.
“The bid to violate the rules by granting tenure extension to some civil servants has sparked serious tension in and outside the service.
“Lower ranked civil servants, for one, believe such action will rob them of necessary career growth as the old brigade will still remain in service on their posts, thus stultifying growth and breeding frustration, with hugely deleterious effects on age-old cohesion, discipline and obedience.
“A Grade Level 10 staff member said: ‘Approving tenure extension for those due for retirement means you want them to sit tight, consuming public funds whereas they are supposed to go home, thus stunting the career progression of staff like me. I oppose this wicked, selfish action.
” ‘At a time government, burdened by foreign and local debts, should be exploring ways to reduce expenditure, granting tenure extension to those who earn very heavily and who have control over public funds, in billions and millions of Naira, is like telling them to ‘carry go’ with however they are handling the funds. Just where is the wisdom in this?’
Already, Concerned Patriots For the Integrity and Renewal of the Public Service has fired a strong-worded petition to President Bola Tinubu on the matter, advising him against spending his signature to okay the illegality.
“The group apprised the President of the moves to use him to stamp such illegality that could tar his administration in bad light, and also erode his Renewed Hope Agenda which is rooted in fairness, justice and probity.
“Urging him not to okay the file bearing the names of the affected civil servants, the group said the President is known for being a stickler for due process and legality, having won all the election cases against him in court, and so Nigerians expect him to do the just and right thing in the tenure extension matter: refuse to agree to illegality.”
Signed:
…………….
Ademola Adegoke
National Coordinator.
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Blessing N. Moagua
General Secretary
