By Ere Efeke
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Civil Service is rightly referred to as the “Engine Room of Government” because it is charged with implementing the Policies of the Government formulated and approved by the State Executive Council (made of the Governor and his political appointees).
Successive Governors have not deemed it fit the accord the Civil Service it’s rightful place in the Government by upholding the dignity and regard it deserves, which has eroded the performance of the Service and the State. Some of these actions include:
1. Non-payment, late-payment and under-payment salaries, allowances and entitlements
2. None implementation or selective implementation of the State procurement Act, leading to erosion of the powers of the Ministries to perform their assigned duties with respect to the approval thresholds for approval of funds. Ministries wanting to carry out a programmes worth N2m, already approved in the appropriation act, still need to seek approval again and wait endlessly for the Governor’s approval.
3. Appointment of greenhorns as Hon. Commissioners based on political consideration and not capacity.
4. Setting up parallel committees to do the work of the Ministries where money is involved thereby making the Ministries and Staff redundant.
5. Taking lightly and outright refusal to provide welfare and tools for the performance of the Ministries: In Bayelsa State, Permanent Secretaries are appointed and not provided with Official Cars and Accommodation but are expected to attend government functions where all the political appointees are give Official cars.
4. The Directors in the Ministries are not given official cars, neither are there pool cars for the Ministries to perform.
When the civil service was regarded as important during the old Rivers State, even officers on Grade Level 8 were given cars. Compare that to the current situation were Directors and Permanent Secretaries are not given but Government can spend billions of Naira providing car to the political appointees but not for those working in the “engine room”.
5. The payment of pension is very good but that of gratuities is still very poor. Gratuities to Civil Servants is comparable to Severance allowance for the political class. While the Severance allowance is paid promptly the payment of gratuities is nothing to write home about. Currently, gratuities have been paid to 2012 leaving many who retired 11 years ago still waiting on God to receive. Due to this, many sharp practices are going in the pension administration as many parts with huge percentages of their monies to jump the queue.
Due to the erosion of the respect and dignity of the Civil Service, the head of Administration and Accounting Officer, who is the Permanent Secretary is undermined by the Hon. Commissioner, who do not know their roles and the Civil Service is guided by the Civil Service Rules, Financial Regulations, Circulars and Acts.
In conclusion, the next Governor should oil the Engine room of Government and accord it the deserved dignity, respect and regards for it to work effectively.
*Arc. Ere Efeke is a retired Permanent Secretary and writes from Yenagoa
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