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*Says Their Departmental Heads Must Be Punished
Irked by corruption in the Civil Service in the last one year, President Bola Tinubu has ordered the refund of salaries collected by civil servants who relocated abroad without formally resigning.
The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan had last Wednesday revealed that the service has uncovered 1,618 officers in the Civil Service with illegal and fake employment letters including many of them who have relocated abroad in the last one year and still collecting salaries.
The President gave the latest directive on Saturday night at the 2024 Civil Service Award and Gala Night, which was the climax of the week-long 2024 Civil Service Week
The President, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, also demanded that the Supervisors and Heads of the fraudulent civil servants must be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch.
President Tinubu said: “During my recent visit to South Africa, I kept abreast of the week’s activities and was particularly struck by the revelations shared by the Head of the Civil Service regarding employees who had relocated abroad while drawing salaries without formally resigning.
“It is heartening to hear that measures have been taken to address this issue, but we must ensure those responsible are held accountable and restitution is made.
“The culprits must be made to refund the money they have fraudulently collected.
“Their supervisors and department heads must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch.
“The Nigerian Civil Service cannot just be a workplace where ‘anything is possible, ‘where workers violate rules without the fear of punishment or repercussion.
“The civil service of any nation is too important for such misconduct to take root or be tolerated.” he said
The President described the Civil Service, as “the bedrock, the engine, the locomotive of government, which is necessary for the government to deliver public goods to citizens.”
He added “As politicians, we are no more than drivers of the locomotives that you provide. Those who say that a nation is as good as its civil service are close to the truth. You are the real establishment that remains to pilot government affairs as we politicians come and go.”
Over the decades, he said that successive governments that had initiated various National Development Plans and programmes, had all relied on the Civil Service to translate such plans into high-impact programmes and projects across all sectors of the nation’s economy.
The President also reiterated the commitment of his administration to cultivating. empowering, and professionalising Nigeria’s human capital within the Civil Service.
“It is imperative to foster a culture of excellence and instil confidence among our civil servants. Our administration acknowledges the challenges the civil service faces.
“I want to give you the assurance that we are committed to ensuring the welfare and development of all civil servants to deliver optimal performance for the growth of our nation.
“Over the past year, I have provided all the necessary support to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to ensure the continued stability of the civil service and to implement far-reaching policies and reforms capable of improving efficiency and service delivery.
Commending the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation for the reforms introduced in the Civil Service towards creating a world-class service that upholds meritocracy and excellence, he charged Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executives of various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure swift implementation of these reforms within their respective MDAs.
He further warned them to reduce unnecessary bureaucracies that slow down the conduct of government businesses.
“Our commitment to delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda demands urgency, without compromising due process.
“1 am aware that due process must be followed in conducting government business but that should not give room for any form of red- tapes or insistence on unnecessary bureaucracies.
“We have pledged to work for the Nigerian people, and it is critical that all civil servants, and indeed all public servants, recognise the key role they must play in the achievement of our national potential.” he said
Also congratulating some civil servants who have distinguished themselves in service, President Tinubu reminded them that “to whom much is given, much is also expected.
“As you are honoured today, remember that with recognition comes responsibility. Your continued dedication is essential as we strive for excellence in service to our nation,” he stated.
Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation(HCSF), In her keynote address,, noted that there is a high institutional/organizational demand for improved workforce performance, a culture that promotes and sustains consequence management.
According to her, there should also be in place an incentive system that rewards high performance and innovation while addressing underperformance.
Dr. Yemi-Esan emphasised that the Civil Service must not be seen as a dumping ground for job seekers but must attract the best and the brightest who would contribute fresh ideas and demonstrate the determination and capability to drive national plans and solve Nigeria’s socio-economic problems.
At the Gala Night, there was presentation of an Endowment Fund of N500,000 to each of the best performing civil servants from the MDAs facilitated by Private Sector Partners- the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation as well as 2024 Edition of the Service-Wide Rewards and Recognition Awards.
The categories of awards, she said included Presidential Distinguished Public Service Career Award; Presidential Civil Service Merit Award; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Award;The Public Service Excellence Award; 2024 Sports Achievement Award.