Rep kicks against abolition of tenure policy for perm secs, directors

A member of the House of Representatives , Hon Kehinde Agboola representing Ekiti North 1 (Oye -Ikole) Federal Constituency of Ekiti state at the Weekend kicked against the suspension of tenure policy for Permanent Secretaries and Directors in Federal Civil Service ‎ of the Federation, saying that the action if not reversed would be counterproductive.

This came just as the lawmaker is canvassing for the immediate reversal of the existing 60 years retirement limit policy for Permanent Secretaries and Directors in the federal civil service, except for those whose tenure would extend to the retirement age.

Speaking with News men in Abuja on the motion he presented on the floor of the House to that effect last Thursday at the Plenary, Hon Agboola argued that “if their occupation of offices are not tenured, the workers in these categories may spend upwards of 10 years or more in office, their depriving workers down the line from succeeding them before their own retirement ages”.

The motion titled, ‘Need to reinstate the abolished civil service tenure policy, ‘ by Hon Kehinde Agboola, was unanimously adopted through the vice vote

The members while debating the motion were of the opinion that if the positions were not tenured, as it used to be the practice, promotions and upgrading would hardly be achieved.

President Muhammadu Buhari had a year ago ordered the suspension of the tenure policy in the federal civil service.

Introduced by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye, under the administration of  late President Umaru Yar’Adua, the plan had prescribed two terms of four years each for permanent secretaries of ministries, while directors were entitled to an eight-year tenure.

With the new directive, civil servants could now stay in service until they are 35 years in service or they turn 60.

Leading the debate on the motion, Agboola urged the House to direct the government to reinstate the abolished policy as it would further ‘intrinsically result in politicizing the system and scaling up systemic corruption contrary to the dictates of a government that has anticorruption precept as one of its cardinal objectives. ‘

The lawmaker argued that one of the ways the non-tenured workers corruptly enrich themselves while in office is deploring the biometrics tools to alter and falsify their work records.

Agboola also appealed to the House to mandate its Committee on Public Service Matters to ensure compliance and report back in four weeks.

According to him. “It’s sad that when a permanent secretary and directors are allowed to stay in office more than necessary, in the name of working to attain the 35 years’ work period or 60 years retirement age limit, they keep altering their records, especially their ages through the biometrics option

“This does not create opportunity for workers down the line to move up. Let their offices be based on tenure as it used to be so that as they complete the required years, they can go and rest.

“They can leave and begin to mentor others. Some of them can even join politics. We need them here, but if they remain they until it gets to the point they cannot do anything again, it will not be good for the system,”