Uneasy Calm At Budget Ministry Over Redeployment

There has been uneasy calm at the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning headquarters in Abuja following the recent redeployment of four directors, six deputy directors and 12 assistant directors of the ministry.

The ministry, which has been in the eye of the storm over budget figure padding in the 2016 budget, remained generally quiet, as most top officials affected by the redeployment had begun writing handover notes preparatory to resumption in their new stations on Monday, March 20.

A top source at the Ministry, who pleaded anonymity, said the staff of the Budget and National Planning Ministry who were transferred to other ministries were moved as a matter of routine federal civil service rule, saying it had nothing to do with the 2016 budget.

“Yes, different levels of staff of the ministry have received letters informing them of redeployment. But it was never stated that the redeployment was in connection with the 2016 budget.

“Every civil servant knows that he or she can be posted to any other MDA. This happens from time to time. So, the posting has nothing to do with the 2016 budget. The budget and national planning ministry was not singled out. Other ministries also had their staff posted out,” the source said.

Meanwhile, an Assistant Director, Media, at the Head of Service, Mohammed Manga, told The Guardian that the posting was in line with the Federal Civil Service rule to post out personnel of different cadre to new places of assignment from time to time, saying it was a routine exercise.

“The Federal Government does posting of civil servants from time to time. I am not aware of any postings done in the Budget and National Planning office because of the 2016 budget. But I can tell you that the postings that have been done are part of the civil service procedures to allow officers have versatile experience from different MDAs.

“It is a general exercise and it is not a question of punishment or that sort of thing. The only thing is we don’t publicise postings of civil servants from level 17 downwards. Only permanent secretaries,” he said.