…says govt already looking beyond the screening
The Kogi State government has described the civil service it inherited from the previous administrations as a “cesspit of Corruption” and one which was not “adequately trained and motivated to serve the people of the state”.
The Director General on Media and Publicity to the Governor, Kingsley Fanwo made this known while briefing newsmen on the ongoing Staff Screening Appeal Exercise, saying government will not be “blackmailed off the rail of integrity and credibility”.
“The Screening Exercise started with a Committee headed by the then State Security Adviser, Gen. Paul Okutimoh (rtd). When labour raised concerns over the operations of that committee, the Governor changed the headship of the committee and gave labour the chance to lead the committee. That action demonstrated the respect His Excellency has for the labour community.
“Also, the State Government went ahead to set up a review committee which exposed a lot of fraud in the system. People who use their late sisters’ or brothers’ certificates to work and have been exposed are the same people who are blackmailing government of not paying workers. His Excellency gave a directive for all workers that were cleared to be paid up to December 2016 which was complied with before December 20, 2016.
“We are not ruling out a few who fell within the error margin which we are handling. It is in Kogi State Civil Service that you find people printing fake certificates to get jobs and even get promotion. Many others work in Kaduna and draw salaries from Kogi State while some civil servants were used to divert government funds”.
He said no amount of blackmail or intimidation would distract the focus of government on achieving its objective of determining the actual strength of the civil service in the state and to also determine the qualification of the civil servants for the task they are given in order to ensure better service delivery to the people of the state.
His words: “This exercise is about the people in many ways. A secondary school certificate holder who is employed as a Medical Officer and placed on Grade Level 13 is a risk to the society. A person who replaced a dead worker who had been trained to handle certain specialized jobs, will surely be incapable of functioning effectively. A compromised civil service is detrimental to growth and development.
“This exercise is the way to go. It is for the people. It is in the interest of the state. Previous administrations shied away from it and the state suffered for it. We should applaud the political will of the Governor to do this for the good people of Kogi State.
“Some pensioners who are yet to be paid will be attended to and every verified worker of the state will receive his or her arrears. The people must join hands with government to cleanse the system and free funds for development”.
Fanwo said government is concerned about the plight of cleared workers who are yet to be paid, saying government is working to ensure they are paid as soon as possible.
He also assured civil servants in the state of better days ahead, saying government will restore the lost glory of the civil service.
“Governor Yahaya Bello is already looking beyond the ongoing screening exercise. He is already making moves to digitalize the service. The State Government is already working on a digital register that will be linked with our e-payment platform. The Clock-In-Clock-Out system will check the menace of truancy and diaspora ‘workers’ who know they are not entitled to salaries from the Kogi State Government.
“When our e-payment takes full effect, workers will begin to appreciate why they have to go through the sacrifices of the moment.
“Even those that will be confirmed to be unintended beneficiaries will still be catered for by the government through other programs and initiatives. Workers won’t be afraid of retirement if they are sure of a reliable and effective pension administration. Government is working on all these issues to motivate and energize the civil service to help deliver the New Direction Agenda to the Kogi people”.
Fanwo thanked labour unions and interest groups for their understanding and cooperation with government to sanitize the civil service.
He called for “caution” on the part of “political jobbers who are bent on making Kogi ungovernable through disingenuous propaganda against government, urging them to back out on their plans to sponsor protests in Lokoja”, saying the people of the state are behind their government.
“We are aware of some clandestine moves by some disgruntled political leaders to sponsor protests in the state under the pretense of supporting ghost workers. This development is not only unfortunate, but reflects the unpatriotic nature of a fiefdom with a kleptomaniac sense of entitlement.
“The government of Kogi State has the backing of the people, hence, any attempt of political jobbers to manipulate the populace will be unpopular. Students have resisted the antics of the Abuja based political warlords. Now, they are mobilizing funds for a project they want to use to discredit a creditable exercise.
“We urge them to join hands with the present administration to move the state forward rather than plunge it into confusion. Governor Yahaya Bello is committed to continue repositioning of the state and make life better for the people”.
