President Bola Tinubu has pledged to address the issue of civil servants who still receive salaries from the government despite relocating abroad.
The president, who was represented by the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, made this known in Abuja on Saturday night at the conclusion of the 2024 Civil Service Week.
He commended the Head of Service for the moves being made so far to discover the erring workers but called for more consequences for those caught.
Recall the head of service disclosed some days before that 1618 civil servants with fake employment letters were also caught and dismissed.
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.”
He ordered that superiors of the civil servants must also be brought to book over the fraudulent action.
“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 added.
Also speaking, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, called for excellence from workers.
She said,
“In underscoring the nexus between incentives and performance, it is pertinent to emphasize that the Civil Service must not be seen as a dumping ground for job seekers but must attract the best and the brightest who will contribute fresh ideas and demonstrate the determination and capability to drive national plans and solve our socio-economic problems.”
She further commended the federal government’s efforts in enhancing the welfare of civil servants.
“The Federal Government has also progressively made modest interventions for the improved welfare of civil servants in recent times. At this juncture, I wish to profoundly appreciate His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for demonstrating both the will and passion for improving the welfare of the workforce through the ₦35,000 provisional wage award for all treasury-paid Federal Government workers for six months and ongoing efforts to review the minimum wage,” she added.
Numerous civil servants carted home prizes on the awards night and pledged to do better as they were spurred on by the recognition for their hardwork.
