Labour rejects abolition of tenure for perm secs, directors

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.