Civil Service Promotion Now on Performance - Duke
From Amby Uneze in Calabar
As the engine room through which government policies and programmes are implemented, the Cross River State Government is determined to modernize and reposition the civil service for greater productivity and efficiency for quick service delivery.
Toward this end, it is now a policy direction of the Donald Duke led Administration that promotions will no longer be automatic, but based strictly on performance, merit and availability of vacancies.
Duke, who stated this at the opening ceremony of a workshop on Competitive Promotion Examination for Senior Civil Servants in Cross River held at the Conference Hall of the State Library Complex, Calabar on Tuesday, disclosed that it is as a result of this that government introduced a competitive promotion examination for senior civil servants to ensure that only the best get to the top, and to restore a contented, disciplined and fair civil service.
The Governor who was represented by his Deputy, Elder Walter Eneji, said that his administration has embarked on number of reforms since it came on board to make the service more comfortable and productive, listing some of the reforms to include the training and retraining of the workers; upgrading of the Management Development Institute (MDI) to accommodation the training of middle and top management civil servants as well.
Other reforms include the computerization of records in the service, as it is expected and mandatory for all public servants to be computer-literate by December 2005, improvement of the aesthetics of the Secretariat Complexes and provision of facilities in Government Offices, the elimination of ghost workers syndrome through the standardized nominal roll and central payroll system, and the payment of salaries through banks; while salaries are now being paid as and when due.
He stressed that in as much as government is committed towards pursuing welfare programmes for the benefits of its public servants. It will however not compromise its stance against corruption, sharp practices and indolence which have bedeviled the system over the years; stressing that Decree 43 of 1988 and its implementations destroyed whatever credible legacies that were left of the services as promotions became a right, and favouritism and god-fatherism became common, with mediocres finding their ways into the top echelon of the service.
Duke therefore charged the Civil Service Commission to ensure that any civil servants identified to be corrupt are exposed and disciplined, while those found to be consistently dedicated, hard working and efficient should be duly and deservedly recognized and adequately rewarded; adding, that the world is fast changing and we must brace up to face the harsh reality, and accept the changes in the civil service.
According to him "We will as a government, assist you to readjust, your duty is to be first willing and then obedient to fit in. the Bibles says, if "We are willing and obedient, we shall eat the good of the land "Do not be afraid. Do not be jittery. Do not shy away. Dare to change and you will change" adding that the present situation where the civil service is top heavy is unacceptable and must be correct".
In her address, the Head of Service, Lady Ntunkae Margaret Okang Okeke maintained that henceforth promotion in the civil service shall not be based on the traditional attainment of three years in service, but based on examination, while such a person must be found worthy in all aspect of the service as well as in character.
She contended that the competitive examination was not the only criteria for promotion, but that such a person to be promoted must be intelligent, resourceful, effective, and above all productive.
She called on the participants to take advantage of the workshop and the examination which she noted will not only be for promotion but also to expose each civil servants to the ethics of the service.
|
