Governor AbdulRazaq allegedly plans to retire level 15 civil servants after re-election

By Ahmed Ajikobi

The Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq is allegedly planning to retire level 15 civil servants in the state civil service after he might have secured his re-election for second term, this is as the gubernatorial candidate for Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Shuaibu Abdullahi Yaman has promised to ensure that the statutory tenure of Civil servants in the state and local government services is guaranteed and protected to optimize their potentials and loyalty to the service.

It will be recalled that despite the pledge of AbdulRahman not to sack or victimize any civil servant, he not only sacked twelve permanent secretaries in 2020 and replaced them without considering their seniority in the service, but has also refused to pay their entitlements to date.

According to a statement from Yaman’s media office, at the local government level, the governor appointed levels 14 and 08 officers as directors of personnel management and treasurers above their seniors which resulted in the untimely exit of experienced hands from the service due to unbearable frustration.

“Alhaji Shuaibu Yaman promised that, if elected as the next governor of the state, he will not only ensure that no civil servant is sacked or untimely retired but embark on aggressive training and retraining of the civil servants to meet with the current challenges of effective service delivery.

” Within the first 30 days in office, his administration shall not only pay the entitlements of the permanent secretaries and other civil servants that were untimely retired by Gov AbdulRazaq but put machinery in place to pay outstanding arrears of salaries and benefits of workers.

“Alh. Yaman also promised to re-absorb the sunset teachers and restore their lost service years with their full benefits to be at par with their colleagues.

“The civil servants will be allowed to play their statutory role as policy drivers. Our government shall conduct the local government election within the time stipulated by law.

“Our administration’s concern for civil servants shall extend to the pensioners. Concerted efforts shall be made not only to pay their pensions, but also to bring them to par with the existing minimum wage. Everything shall be done to pay arrears of their gratuity within the shortest time possible, while we shall invest in and evolve a pre-retirement training program to ensure they live a meaningful life after their meritorious service to the state.

“To achieve these, we shall be truthful and plain in our dealings with the civil servants. We shall not deceive them. We shall not promise them what we cannot achieve”,the statement said.

Ŕeacting however to the alleged plan to retire level 15 civil servants, the Senior Special Adviser on Labour to governor AbdulRazaq, Comrade Onagun Abdulkareem munmini, condemned the allegations said it’s not true and warned kwarans to guide against misinformation.

Munmini said,” I wish to sincerely correct the rumor and unfounded information being peddled around that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazak will sack officers on GL 15 and above if re-elected for a second term in office.

“I wish to categorically state that, H. E, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazak; Executive Governor of Kwara State, has no intention of sacking any worker if given the mandate to rule the state for the second term.”

According to him, this was reaffirmed when recently the newly elected Executive members of the Nigeria Labour Congress headed by Comrade Muritala Yinka Saheed paid a courtesy call on the number one citizen of the state of harmony.

“The Governor emphasized that such a venture is meaningless as it’s never cost-effective considering the pensions and gratuities that often follow such an exercise. Hence, rumor mongers should desist from campaign of calumny rather issue-based campaign should be embraced.

“On the issue of placing junior officers above senior ones at Local Government level, this is the exact error met on ground by the administration of Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazak and has been adequately and proactively addressed at the local government service Commission; hence, there’s the need to embrace thorough investigative journalism and feed the public with facts and realities at all times instead of propaganda.”