37 directors disqualified after failing exam to become FG’s permanent secretaries

No fewer than 74 directors applied for the 10 vacant positions of permanent secretaries declared by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

It was gathered that 37 directors scored 50 per cent and above in the qualifying examination, while 37 scored below 50 per cent, which led to their disqualification.

A circular obtained from the OHCSF with reference number HCSF/PS/CMO/154/I/70 and signed by Olusola Idowu on behalf of the Examination Committee, explained that the 37 directors, who passed the examination, would sit an ICT proficiency test on Thursday in Abuja.

The circular read in part, “The invited candidates are to note that the ICT proficiency test will take place on Thursday, February 24, 2022 by 8am at the Muhammadu Buhari Centre, National Intelligence Agency, Asokoro.”

The OHCSF had announced that it was seeking suitable candidates to fill up the vacancies in the Office of the Solicitor-General of the Federation and other permanent secretaries, who were scheduled to retire by 2022.

While the solicitor-general also serves as the Permanent Secretary of the Federation, other vacancies include permanent secretaries for Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Jigawa, Plateau, Sokoto and Taraba states.

The Head of Service had explained that the eligibility criteria to participate in the exercise would include officers in the mainstream Federal Civil Service, who had attained the position of substantive directors on Salary Grade Level 17 on or before January 1, 2020, and had updated their records on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System verification portal, and were from the states listed above and were not retiring earlier than December 31, 2023.

“In addition, all legal officers in the mainstream of the Federal Civil Service from all the states of the federation, who have attained the position of substantive director on Salary Grade Level 17 on or before January 1, 2020 and are not retiring from service earlier than December 31, 2023 are eligible to participate in the exercise,” Idowu stated.