Organised Labour, yesterday, expressed shocked over Monday’s sudden decision by the Federal Government to abolish the tenure policy for Permanent Secretaries and Directors in the Public Service, saying the abolition was alien to the civil service and unacceptable.
On the platform of the of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, labour called on the Government to halt the plan and summon a stakeholders meeting to discuss the issue to avoid industrial unrest as there were already tension in the public service..
According to ASCSN, the tenure policy which started in 2009 under late President Umaru Yar’Adua stipulated two terms of four-years for Permanent Secretaries and singe 8-years for directors.
In a statement yesterday in Lagos, the ASCSN President, Bobboi Bala Kaigama and the Secretary-General, Alade Bashir Lawal, warned that the persistent policy somersaults by the present Government if not put in check were likely to destroy the cherished norms in the public service.
The body recalled that few months ago, the Federal Government for inexplicable reasons, elected to recruit non-serving officers as Permanent Secretaries some of whom were above 60 years of age in flagrant violation of the Public Service Rules, PSR.
“This is in a situation where there are highly skilled, educated, and knowledgeable civil servants who should have been elevated to these exalted positions. All appeals by this union to the Government to reverse the appointments and promote senior civil servants who have served the nation meritoriously for decades to the posts of Permanent Secretaries were treated with contempt,” the union lamented. – Vanguard.
