FG uncovers irregular, unauthorised appointments in civil service

Chairman of Federal Civil Service Commission, FCSC, Deaconness Joan Ayo, has discovered some irregular/unauthorized appointments in the civil service. Deaconess Ayo, who disclosed this in Abuja yesterday, said the appointments in question, uncovered by the on-going staff auditing at the FCSC, were null and void. 

She explained that staff auditing was aimed at fishing out irregular/unauthorized appointees and de-listing them from the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System, IPPIS. She maintained that this action was necessary because the appointments were not backed by any vacancy from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and as such, were not budgeted for. 

She further stated that the appointments were in gross violation of the Federal Character principle and also disclosed that vacancies in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation would soon be advertised. 

Ayo assured that all Nigerian children who qualified would be given the opportunity to compete for limited but available jobs, while selection would be strictly based on merit within the context of the principle of Federal Character. The chairman, who spoke extensively on the core values of the public service, stressed that merit was a major plant recruitment into the civil service was based. 

This, she added, was subject to meeting certain standards, such as prescribed minimum educational qualifications, satisfactory performance in the qualifying examination and at interviews, etc. without prejudice to the principle of Federal Character. 

She further stated that the Federal Civil Service Commission would continue to ensure that promotion was strictly based on merit, pointing out that the guidelines for appointment, promotion and discipline was currently being reviewed to meet the increasing demand of the time. Furthermore, she said procedure for accelerated promotion had been clearly defined and spelt out in the new revised guidelines to motivate civil servants towards enhanced productivity. Deaconess Ayo, who called for attitudinal change among the civil servants, stressed the need for them to imbibe the core values which characterized the profile of a public servant in the days of founding fathers of the civil service.