By Sarah NEGEDU
The Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission has commenced the regularisation of staff appointments, with a call to staff to fully participate in the exercise.
The Head of the Civil Service, FCT, Dr. Udo Atang, who made the call during the flag-off of the exercise on Wednesday, said that the exercise is important to the FCT Administration, as it will ensure that the administration has accurate data of its staff, and a unified work force with a common goal.
While urging staff of the FCTA and the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, to give their full cooperation, Atang pledged the support of the FCTA to the commission to ensure total compliance and success of the exercise.
“Let me not have the opportunity of sanctioning any staff, Secretariat, Department and/or Agency that have failed to honour the invitation to attend the exercise.”
He also directed that the list of all staff of the FCTA who are on course, study leave, leave of absence or other related things be compiled with Grade Level, designation and record of service with dully approval be submitted to his office for onward submission to the FCT Civil Service Commission.
According to him, “the exercise we are gathered here for, is a core critical exercise, which forms the bedrock of the new FCT Civil Service, because the exercise underscores the fact that the regularization exercise and gazette that will come thereafter by the Commission will give all staff a sense of identity”.
“For almost 15 to 20 years that we have been clamouring for a sense of identity for the FCT Civil Servants. All of us, we need the commission to give us a sense of identity, because we were neither here nor there. Area Council staff had the Area Council Service Commission, the Federal Staff has the Federal Civil Service Commission, but the FCTA staff were suspended as a pendulum swinging from one place to another, with Permanent Secretaries being posted, while the identity of our staff was shrouded in ambiguity.
“But today, to the glory of God, FCT Civil Service Commission has been established by the Act of the National Assembly and signed into law by the President and the Commission formally inaugurated by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, through the instrumentality of the presidential approval,” he added.
He said that: “Today marks another watershed in the annals of the Commission’s activities. The essence of this regularization is to ensure that staff are properly documented, you will now have letters that will now qualify you as the bonafide staff of the FCT Civil Service Commission.”
He pointed that all the staff are holding letters of appointments from various Agencies, Departments, Area Council, defunct MFCT, FCDA, whose holders are raising issues of discrimination on the basis of letter of appointment.
While commending the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, for his doggedness and commitment in implementing the Act establishing the Commission, Atang urged the FCTA workers to reciprocate the minister’s uncommon gesture.
The Chairman FCT Civil Service Commission, Engr. Emeka Ezeh, appreciated the support and cooperation of the Head of the Civil Service of the FCT; saying that such collaboration would not be taken for granted.
He said that the commission is in charge of appointment, promotion and discipline of all FCTA workers.
Ezeh, appealed to the workers to be committed in the discharge of their responsibilities, saying that the Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike has done his part in liberating the staff from stagnation.
