Adherence strictly to rules-based and merit-based recruitment, deployment and promotion and effective human resource management will restore the credibility of civil service and reposition it as the engine of economic growth, the Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries (CORFEPS) has said.
In a communique issued at the end of its 2024 colloquium which had ‘Reflections on Nigeria’s public service: Way forward for good governance’, as its theme, the group insisted that there is an urgent need to prioritize merit and competency in the service and remove mediocrity.
The body also expressed its support for the planned restructuring of the civil service regarding the cost of governance caused by overlaps and duplications in the functions of ministries, extra-ministerial departments and agencies.
It added: “To this end, CORFEPS calls government attention to the observed abuse of the monetization policy of 2003. The true essence of that policy should be revisited where necessary, paying attention to the welfare needs of civil servants in such areas as transportation, and accommodation.”
It also restated the need to reinstate the coordination and supervisory role of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation by reinstituting the Establishment and Records Office to complement the full roles of the National Council on Establishment.
The communique which was signed by the Chairman of the group, Yayale Ahmed and Ambassador Bulus Zom Lolo, who is the General Secretary, also seeks the establishment of a desk or Unit for matters relating to retired permanent secretaries and former Heads of the Civil Service of the Federation in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to facilitate communication and collaboration, whenever necessary, between CORFEPS and the OHCSF.
CORFEPS believes that addressing behavioural change in all cadres of the service will help tackle indiscipline, adding that training and retraining with strict monitoring aimed at eliminating abuses and the increasing decline in capacity building in the service is important as well.
While recognising the tasks facing the National Pension Commission (PenCom), CORFEPS observed that the commission should review its operations according to the provisions of the established guidelines by ensuring that implementation of pension reviews is done promptly in line with the review of salaries as they come, saying this will shore up the morale and confidence of civil servants.
CORFEPS emphasised the need to inaugurate the National Council on Procurement as well as the need for adequate provision in the overhead budget to ensure proper equipment, adequate working tools and a work environment in ministries, extra-ministerial departments and agencies.
In his address to the participants, the Olu of Ilu-Abo and the Baba Oba of Akure Kingdom, Oba Samuel Oluyemi Falae submitted that the main challenges facing the public service are behavioural, and hinged on weak enforcement of regulations and poor compliance with existing rules by participants in the service.
He added that the current response of the citizenry to the public service, in general, is more negative than positive, and the image problem in the public perception of the civil service should be a major source of concern for all public servants.
A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babagana Kingibe identified constant discontinuities in public policies due to the reluctance of incumbents to consult with and recognize the experience and capacity of retired public officers as a formidable challenge.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Nigeria’s Public Service: The Way Forward for Good Governance, an Insider’s Perspective’, a retired Permanent Secretary, Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, examined critically the main areas of civil service engagement which have resulted in declining efficiency and poor perception of the Service.
According to her, areas that need urgent interrogation include direct hire into the service, the manner of application of the federal character principle, abuse of postings, lack of accountability in the individual management of public funds such as DTA’s by Ministers, heads of MDAs and senior staff, laxity towards duty by auditors and audit departments.
She suggested that the civil service would perform better in service delivery by improving its synergy with stakeholders in wider society such as labour and civil society, the various national sectoral councils e.g., those of establishments, health, agriculture, water resources, environment among others.
Koripamo-Agary also suggested a revisit of the monetisation policy to ensure its better implementation towards ensuring better parity of the welfare of civil servants/public servants with political appointees.
