How Wike saved #2billion from promotion exams
By Abdul Jelil Adebayo- Abuja
There is no doubt that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT has good intentions for the over 40, 000 staffers of FCTA.
When he came on board about two years ago, he ensured the ministry exited from TSA which enabled him to embark on turning the city centre into construction site.
He went further to establish the FCT civil service commission which enabled career progression for the civil servants.
Emeka Ezeh was appointed as chairman of the commission, with six others as commissioners, representing the six geopolitical zones.
The commissioners are Ahmed Mohammed (North-west), Anthony Okeah (South-south), Mohammed Ibrahim (North-east), Miskoom Naantuam (North-central), Jide Jimoh (South-west) and Barrister Azubike (South-east).
The FCT Civil Service Commission was established based on an Act of the National Assembly that was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018.
However, it gained approval for operationalization from President Bola Tinubu. The commission’s establishment was aimed at addressing challenges faced by FCT civil servants in career progression and give them a sense of identity.
And with the establishment of the commission, staff audit was the first thing it did. That is, to know the actual number of staff in the employ of FCTA.
However, the FCTA has been working on regularizing its staff appointments to ensure accurate data and a unified workforce. This initiative aims to give staff a sense of identity, addressing the ambiguity they faced before the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission.
Regularization Exercise*: In September 2024, the FCT Civil Service Commission launched a regularization exercise to document staff properly and provide them with a sense of identity.
Regarding ghost workers in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), there have been efforts to identify and eliminate them from the payroll. In 2013, a biometric enrollment exercise was conducted to weed out ghost workers, and about 3,296 staff members were identified with issues that could affect their salary payments.
Thereafter was the promotion exercise in which most of the staff due for promotion in the last three years were scheduled to go for promotion exams.
And that was the beginning of the problem; the Minister was miffed with the figure presented by the commission for the exercise.
The memo which Minister Wike rejected and had been returned to the commission was asking for an outrageous amount of #2billion to conduct a computer based test, CBT for the staff.
Concerned about the inflated figures, Wike was said to have angrily asked whether the commission wanted to conduct exams for the whole country.
In anger, which many believed was justifiable, the Minister wondered what they would do with such a homogous bill for a CBT.
Not only was the Minister pissed off but even the staff slated for the exercise cried out saying the commission wanted to ripp off FCTA.
Certainly the Minister is not happy with what is happening at the commission, as the commission believed it could present any bill and the Minister would approve without questioning.
And now that the file for the promotion exercise has been returned back to the commission with a keep in view stamp on it, the fate of those scheduled for promotion is hanging.
Some of them have retired while few are at the verge of retiring while many are stagnated for a year on same cadre for long.
No staff of the commission was ready to talk on the matter as they claimed they are not authorized to speak to the press.
Feelers from the Minister’s office have left many confused as some are asking for automatic promotion for all that are due.
Another school said it would not be the best as not everyone due for promotion would have passed the exams should there have been one in the first place.
But for now, no one knows what will happen as the Minister is said not to be happy with the top echelon of the commission.
It may be recalled that in 2018, the National Assembly passes a bill to establish the FCT Civil Service Commission, which receives presidential assent from President Yemi Osibanjo.
In October 2023, President Bola Tinubu approved the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, allowing the FCT Administration to utilize its Internally Generated Revenue and operationalize the commission.
While in March 2024 the commission was formally inaugurated by Minister of the FCT, Barr. Nyesom Wike, through presidential approval.
The commission is expected to oversee personnel affairs, including recruitment, promotion, discipline, and training of FCT civil servants.
The Commission has guidelines that govern its operations and the conduct of its employees which include recruitment and Selection
On the Merit-based recruitment the commission recruits candidates based on merit, ensuring that the most qualified and competent individuals are selected for positions.
Transparent selection process expect the selection process to be transparent, fair, and free from bias.
On the Code of conduct, the commission has a code of conduct that outlines the expected behavior and standards of integrity for employees.
The commission has service rules that govern the terms and conditions of service for employees, including leave, promotions, and discipline.
The commission conducts regular performance appraisals to evaluate employee performance and identify areas for improvement. The commission provides training and development opportunities to enhance employee skills and knowledge.
The commission has disciplinary procedures that outline the steps to be taken in cases of misconduct or poor performance. The commission has grievance handling procedures that provide a framework for resolving employee complaints and grievances.
Other Guidelines which also include but not limited to Promotion and career development. The commission has guidelines for promotion and career development, ensuring that employees are given opportunities to advance in their careers. The commission has guidelines for leave and attendance, outlining the rules and procedures for taking leave and managing attendance.
These guidelines are designed to ensure that the FCT Civil Service Commission operates efficiently, effectively, and with integrity.
As the waiting game continues, heads may roll in the commission.
Abdul wrote in from Abuja through abduljelil2001@gmail.com.
