Government to retire civil servants who have served for 30 years in anti-corruption drive

PLANS to retire any civil servant who has more than 30 years service are being considered by the federal government as part of its cost-cutting measures to reduce its expenditure bill and make the civil service more manageable.

 

According to one source in the office of the head of service of the federation, a memo to that effect has been sent to all federal permanent secretaries as well as the heads of agencies and parastatals. It is believed that civil servants who have served for up to 30 years and more may be asked to leave the service before the end of 2015.

 

It is expected that the measure will pave the way for the injection of fresh blood into the system as a way of ensuring maximal output and restructuring the civil service. Apparently, the presidency had expressed concerns over the rate of corruption in the civil service and resolved that the best way to stamp it out would be to overhaul the entire system.

 

Already, the head of service has been mandated to ensure that all civil servants involved in any form of corruption be shown the way out. He has also been told to ensure that all permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies furnish his office with details of service of all civil servants.

 

 “The instruction handed my boss is to make sure that only people who have spent 30 years in the service and those who were involved in any kind of fraud are affected. This is not witch hunting, it is a way of cleaning up the civil service and providing opportunities for the new and fresh blood, who have the zeal and passion to work,” the source added.

 

Apparently, the inability of the office of the Auditor General for the Federation to issue queries to erring ministries and agencies of government involved in sharp practices has become responsible for the kind of impunity in the civil service. President Muhammadu Buhari was elected on March 28 with a mandate to eliminate corruption in public life.