Nigerian civil servants to become first casualties of Buhari's change: Plans to forcefully retire workers with 30 Years of service by the end of the year in motion

Nigerian civil servants to become first casualties of Buhari's change: Plans to forcefully retire workers with 30 Years of service by the end of the year in motion

Nigerian civil servants may become the first victims of Muhammadu Buhari's change as they face mass sack. There are already plans put in motion to forcefully retire workers who have served up to 30 years before the end of 2015. According to Leadership Sunday, this is to pave way for fresh bloods into the system as a way of ensuring maximal output and restructuring of the civil service. However, this may be a move to reduce the workforce in order to cut down on government expenses. And there is no guarantee that new recruitment would be conducted as the government scrounges for money.

A source in the office of the Head of Service of the Federation (HOS) told our Leadership correspondent on the condition of anonymity that a memo to that effect has been raised by the head of service to all permanent secretaries as well as heads of agencies and parastatals of the federal government for compliance.

According to the source, this is in line with the directive of the Presidency that all civil servants who have put in 30 years and above may have outlived their usefulness in the service, hence the need to restructure and inject fresh blood into the system.

The source stated that the Presidency had expressed concerns over the rate of corruption in the civil service, and resolved that the best way to stamp out or reduce corruption that has become the order of the day in the civil service would be to overhaul the entire system.

The source in the office of the Head of Service also revealed that the HOS was mandated to also ensure that all civil servants involved in any form of corruption be shown the way out, “even if such person or persons have not clocked 30 years in the civil service”.

The source further added that the HOS is mandated to ensure that all permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies furnish the office with details of service of all civil servants. 

“The instruction handed my boss is to make sure that only people who have spent 30 years in the service and those who were involved in any kind of fraud are affected. This is not witch-hunting, it is a way of cleaning up the civil service and providing opportunities for the new and fresh bloods who have the zeal and passion to work”.

The source, an assistant director in the office of the Head of Service, also said the inability of the office of the Auditor General for the Federation to issue queries to erring ministries and agencies of government involved in sharp practices has become responsible for the kind of impunity in the civil service.

-Leadership