President Bola Tinubu has criticized civil servants who were still receiving salaries having relocated abroad without formally resigning.
He gave the rebuke on Saturday night at the 2024 Civil Service Award and Gala Night. The President, who was represented at the occasion by the SGF, Senator George Akume, 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. 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.”
President Tinubu said the Civil Service cannot allow anything is possible culture in the system – ‘where workers violate rules without the fear of punishment or repercussion, stressing the civil service of any nation is too important for such misconduct to take root or be tolerated.
He stated that over the decades, successive governments which initiated various National Development Plans and programmes all relied on the civil service to translate such plans into high-impact programmes and projects across all sectors of the nation’s economy. He said he looked forward to continuing the legacy under his administration.
Mr. President affirmed that over the past year, he had provided all the necessary support to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to ensure the continued stability of the civil service and to implement far-reaching policies and reforms capable of improving efficiency and service delivery. He noted that within the last year, the administration approved the implementation of the civil service reforms in the Federal Capital Territory Administration, resulting in the FCT Administration now having its civil service commission, Head of Service and six permanent secretaries.
He described it as heartwarming to note that the Federal Civil Service is driving a strategic plan that is aligned with the priorities of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda while commending the dedication of the Head of Service of the Federation Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan in steering reforms towards creating a world-class service that upholds meritocracy and excellence.
