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Retired civil servant exposes massive rot in Kwara civil service under Abdulrazaq

...says posting of staff done outside service, mediocrity has replaced hardwork

By Our Reporter
A retired civil servant has alleged massive rot in the Kwara Civil service under Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
In an open letter to the Governor on the state of the civil service titled Part 1, the retired official said he has never witness what is happening in the Kwara State Civil Service through his 35 years of service adding the service has been so much politicized and polarized
Writing as an anonymous individual, the official who said he has worked in both federal and state levels noted that he had observed lots of deviations from the norms.
“The point where this administration got it wrong was at the very beginning when the administration drew a battle line between the politicians and the civil servants. This administration sees or tagged most senior civil servant as Sarakites, not mindful of the dictates of the rules that civil servants are apolitical and must be very loyal (100%) to the government of the day.
“The unfortunate aspect of it all is that the proponents of this school of thought are product and beneficiaries of the so called SARAKI dynasty. If these people can easily ditch their benefactor and godfather, how easy wills your own be”, the statement added.
According to him, “What is happening today in Kwara State Civil Service cannot happen anywhere in Nigeria. A situation where the governor becomes the “post master general” is unthinkable; a state where mediocrity has taken the place of hard work and merit, where whom you know superseded laid down criteria for appointment and posting; a state where posting of staff are done from outside the service: I can continue to go on and on, but my duty here is not to criticize this administration but to bring to the fore some observed lapses for possible amendment”.
On the recent compulsory retirement of permanent secretaries, the official faulted the Governor’s action adding that aside from loosing experienced hand, the exercise leads to quicken turn over and I learnt some of the newly appointed ones will retire by 2021. What a waste?
The statement reads in parts: “The only loyal permanent secretary that was not retired was the Clerk of the House of Assembly, who happened to be an elder sister to the Speaker. What a double standard… Even those asked to stay after their retirement were sent packing unceremoniously.
“The noise in the town is that the compulsorily retired PS were paid 3months salaries in lieu of notice as required by law but unfortunately this was not so. If the loyal ones cannot be retired, I don’t see anything wrong in paying the disloyal ones their due.
“It is very disturbing to know that some of the Commissioners, Heads of Agencies/Parastatals have Personal Assistant (not civil servant) who has access to files. Files are passed to these PA’s to study and advised and some takes files home to outsiders for consultations. This is done as a result of lack of trust of the civil servants. The most worrisome are that of some PS who take files to erstwhile retired officers who often dictate what to write on the files. These are verifiable facts. These situations need urgent attention to safe the state indescribable embarrassment.
“It is disheartening to note that general posting of civil servant now emanates from outside the service cum government house. Some PS are still acting as Director in their former Ministry of postings, signing vouchers and cheques just because officers are yet to be posted to take over. This is an aberration of the highest order.
“Most of the action or inactions of our government is taking us miles backward. How can we tell onlookers that the military laws of more than 20 years are what are better for us in today Kwara.
It is quite just unfortunate that some people somewhere are working as insider to destroy this government”.
The retired official however appealed to the governor to as a matter of urgency allow the service to run itself, organise in house trainings and seminars for the heads of MDAs, allow rules and regulations of service to be supreme, seek advice from retired civil servant that are abound in all LGA who are neither interested in any benefit nor politics, pay all compulsorily retired PS their dues to cushion the effects of dashed hope and aspirations.

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