The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has described his organization and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) as Siamese twins operating with great synergy.

Olaopa spoke yesterday at a joint retreat of the two offices in Abuja. He specifically commended the HCSF, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, for her accomplishments and cooperative spirit to ensure the success of the civil service. 

“If this measure of cooperation and shared passion is indeed sustained in time and space, I bet it sure will bode well not only for the federal civil service, but for the entire public administration community of practice and service in Nigeria and beyond,” Olaopa said.

He said since the inauguration of his leadership under the auspices of the 10th Federal Civil Service Commission in December 2023, the FCSC and OHCSF have been contemplating the desirability of a consultative forum for an exchange of ideas, harmonisation of policies and programmes and resolution of any issues of conflict.

According to him, the OHCSF and the FCSC have shared responsibilities as core central governance agencies for the federal civil service, noting: “It is saying the obvious if I go as far as saying that our two offices are Siamese twins, with shared roles and responsibilities, to implement policies, rules and regulations, to gate-keep and provide leadership for the civil service in Nigeria.

“It bears restating for our collective education and guidance, that while the HCSF, one, provides leadership to the federal civil service, two, facilitates productive working relationship of ministers and permanent secretaries, thus creating an enabling bureaucratic climate for effective and accountable implementation of government policies and programmes, and three, drives reforms and system’s improvements service-wide, the FCSC, as a constitutional body acts as the ultimate authority for regulating employment conditions and standards as touching on recruitment, promotion, discipline and appeals in the federal civil service. In the exercise of those powers, the commission ensures not only that the principles of merit, equity, fairness, and transparency are upheld in personnel matters, but it also ensures compliance with relevant rules and regulations.”