Labour tackles CSC over alleged sack of 754 civil servants

The Niger State Council of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Thursday, dismissed reports credited to the Chairman of Niger State Civil Service Commission, CSC, Alhaji Shehu Galadima, claiming that no fewer than 754 civil servants have been sacked by the state government.

NLC contended that the misgiving in civil service and the public space Alhaji Galadima’s statement had generated, necessitated congress’s clarification.

Galadima’s statement classified the 754 sacked civil servants as 380 forcefully retired for age falsification or alteration of date of the first appointment, 328 dismissed for possession and presentation of fake academic certificates, and 46 summarily dismissed for violation of extant civil service rules.

However, Niger State NLC in a statement by its Chairman, Yakubu Garba, insisted that “for emphasis, CSC is statutorily empowered to oversee the employment, promotion, discipline, and retirement of Civil Servants and that is not in contention. It is in the exercise of such mandate that the commission has so far retired 5,258 civil servants, either under the date of birth or date of the first appointment since the assumption of the current leadership.

“On the forceful retirement of 380 civil servants on the ground of either age falsification or alteration of date of the first appointment, information available to NLC suggests the contrary, as about 90 percent of the 380 personnel were still on the government payroll as of May 2021.

“For clarity, the CSC on its part conducted an investigation and believes the 380 civil servants erred, by either falsification of age or alteration of date of the first appointment, but processes leading to their compulsory retirement have not been concluded, as the commission Chairman confirmed to NLC that various ministries, departments, and agencies staffing the 380 civil servants are yet to submit necessary documents to CSC.

“Also, CSC is yet to avail NLC with details of their findings as required by law, and until laid down procedures are followed to the later, their compulsory retirement amounts to no issue and same are null and void. For the 328 dismissed for possession and presentation of fake academic certificates, the processes leading to such a decision started with the Panti committee on screening and verification of civil servants in Niger State.

“Thousands of academic certificates were presented and vetted by the committee in collaboration with the awarding institutions, after which 328 of such academic certificates were confirmed fake. In such instances, NLC is handicapped, as it cannot dabble into issues relating to a clear violation of extant laws, except where the affected civil servants have contrary and valid claims. For those with valid claims, NLC intervened, they were reinstated and their salary arrears between January 2021 and May 2021 have since been paid.

“In the case of 46 personnel dismissed for violating extant civil service rules, it should be noted that the decision predates the current administration, as the decision for their dismissal was taken during the administration of Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, but after series of complaints regarding irregularities in their dismissal, the CSC reviewed the entire processes leading to their dismissal and affirmed earlier decision taken during the last administration.
“For the records and clarity purpose, dismissal of the affected civil servants does not in any way amount to rightsizing, downsizing, or retrenchment in the guise of rationalization as being insinuated, it is a routine exercise which the Civil Service is statutorily empowered to conduct.

However, the content of the press release credited to the Chairman of CSC is misleading and not entirely correct, as such, civil servants and the general public should compare notes and read in-between the lines.

“Any civil servant affected by this decision but has contrary and valid claims should approach Niger State Council of NLC through their respective unions for redress. NLC wishes to reiterate its resolve to protect and defend the rights and privileges of the workforce, as complacency and double standard have no place in Labour circle.”