NEWS;Undeservedly Promoted Perm. Secs. Dropped in Adamawa.

By Barnabas Augustine

27/11/2019

Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State has on Wednesday ordered that the Permanent Secretaries who were appointed while they were not on Grade Level 17 to be dropped with immediate effect.

The Governor gave the directive during the report presentation of the Technical Committee for the Evaluation of Adamawa Civil Service at the Conference Hall Government House Yola.  

Governor Finitiri who  commended the committee for a thorough job that will revitalize the civil service in the state said that it is the responsibility of the Government to make sure that the abuse in the Civil Service is corrected.

The Governor assured that he will immediately appoint members of committee that will bring out a white paper that will implement wholly the recommendations of the Technical Committee for the evaluation of Adamawa Civil Service.

With regard to embargo on employment, Governor Fintiri lifted it partially.

“I also want to tell you that as from today, 27th November 2019, I have lifted partially embargo on employment” Governor Fintiri stated.

In respect to promotion in the Civil Service, the Governor dropped all Permanent Secretaries who were appointed undeservedly.

“From today 27th November, 2019  all those appointed as Permanent Secretaries who where not on Grade Level 17 before they were appointed are here by dropped; as we do the gradual fading out of the Deputy Permanent Secretary positions”.

While summiting its report, the Chairman Technical Committee on Evaluation of Civil Service, Engr. Benson Jelani, mni said that during their findings they were able to discovered three major abnormalities in the Civil Service.

Firstly, there is a policy in circulation of complete embargo on employment in the State for a long period of time which is making negative impact in the Service. He noted that a lot of vacuum has been created as a result of retirements of Civil Servants without employing qualified people to replace them.

Secondly, is promotions and appointments in the service . Engr. Jelani explained that promotion and appointment of Civil Servants is clearly set up in the rules and regulations of Civil Service guide, but unfortunately this was done by way of “token gift”.

Engr. Jelani stressed that ordinarily in the Civil Service, Civil Servant suppose to give at least six months notice of his retirement. But there is practice of promoting Civil Servants in lest than six months, weeks or days to their retirement which has a negative impact on the service. For, they are quitting the service which they will no longer be productive to it. 

This he said is done for the financial benefit at retirement and is causing a lot financial burdens on government while paying gratuities and pensions.

The third one the chairman of the committee said is the office of the Deputy Permanent Secretary. Engr. Jelani stated that the time when the office of DPS was set up, it may be was with a good intention.

However the committee observed that the Office of the PDS is not enshrined in the Civil Service Scheme of Service which is why in the Federal Civil Service there is no office of the DPS and in the 36 States of the federation only few have it.

“Ordinarily before a person is promoted to the rank of Deputy Permanent Secretary, he must have reached the position of a substantive Director who is on Grade Level 17, Engr. Jelani noted.

“But the practice is that you find somebody on Grade Level 12 or 13  been appointed as DPS where there are people who are substantive Directors.   

“Appointment into the Civil Service by constitution required geopolitical consideration that is, representation of all Local Governments”.

The committee revealed that appointments especially the DPS shows that some LGs have more numbers while others have one.But the worst is that the DPS are meant to deputise Permanent Secretaries but their number is more than the Permanent Secretaries

He further explained that by the time a Civil Servant becomes DPS , he resume as a manager and he can be posted to any Ministry, Departments and Agencies, but the committee found that some DPS are still performing the functions of a Director while Director is also there.

The committee therefore recommended that complete embargo on employment as a policy should be re-examine. And, instead have a restricted employment so that whenever there is need for employment qualified people should be employed.

Secondly the unnecessary promotion should be discouraged..

And, because of the office of the DPS is not in the scheme of Civil Service, it should be gradually fade out.