By Michael Oche
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has thrown its weight behind the recent restoration of tenure-ship on director position in the public service rule in Nigeria.
National President of the Association of ASCSN, Comrade Tommy Etim Okon told journalists over the weekend that the reversal of the policy will allow career progression of other cadres of civil servants in the country.
Okon said the reversal of the tenure-ship was approved by the former President Buhari administration in response to protest letters by labour unions, contrary to information in some quarters that it was a creation of the Head of Service (HoS)
The labour leader explained that the tenureship rule was aborted earlier in the administration of the immediate past president by the those whom he said wanted to sit tight in juicy positions.
He, however, said the resilience and protest from the ASCSN and other unions, led to the restoration of tenureship rule.
According to him, one of the merits of the tenureship of the position of Director as stated in the public service rule of the federation abinitio, is that it served as a tool to create vacancies, promotion, and progress in the career of public and civil servants in the country.
According to him, “Recently, the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Esan released the revised public service rule and on the issue of the tenure restoration system which makes a director to have four years first tenure, and then second year, a maximum of eight years all together.
“I am talking about directors in public service. This is in line with the newly revised public service. A circular was recently issued for compliance, and it generated a lot of heat and false information which has to be corrected. The fact remains that it was not the Head of Service that sat and came up with the idea.
“When tenure was abolished by the then administration of Muhmmadu Buhari, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria wrote and make the case for restoration of that tenure system, which Mr. president graciously approved before he left office.
“It became obvious that it was to be embedded in the public service rules. So the coming out of that rule was not a creation of the Head of Service at all. That fact needs to be established for everyone who cares to know because I have seen a lot of castigation against the Head of Service of the Federation because of the reversal of the rule.
“It was the request of the union (ASCSN) that the tenure system which was aborted by former President Buhari be restored, and the reason was to give opportunities for growth and promotion because some people will spend almost 15 years in a post as a director. Some spend 20 years as a director, some will not even want to leave the directorate to go to permanent secretary. So that was why we stood against the abolition of the tenure system. Now the tenure system has been revised in the public service, and the circular for it is out, and it needs to be implemented.
“Let’s not also not forget that there are also exclusion because there are those who are educational officers that their tenure were extended by the same former President Buhari administration to cover 55 years of age and 40 years in service.
“A lot of people have remained as a director for over 8, 10 years. Some have even extended over 15 years so they think it should business as usual. But it shouldn’t be so because the rule covers the civil service. So if the same rule brought you into the civil service, you should abide by the rule and that is what we are saying.
“So tenure restoration is in the interest of the entire working people. The reason is simple. As they move, they create vacancies so that there won’t be any stagnation in the service. Of course, when you get to the top, it’s going to be pyramid. It cannot be an inverted pyramid. It therefore mean that the top has to be thinner. Everybody cannot be permanent Secretary. But definitely it is expected that when you rise in your career as a director, you have gotten to the too and have that fulfillment in your career. So where we now have stagnation from assistant director, deputy director is because of the over bloatedness in the directorate cadre.
“That was why we the union clamoured that the tenure system that was aborted by the former president Buhari administration should be reversed and that was what the Buhari’s administration did before their final exit
“So we are saying that everybody should abide by the provisions in the revised public service rule. And we support the circular that was issued for compliance.”
