APC kicks as Dickson appoints 35 permanent secretaries.. – TheNigerialawyer

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Bayelsa State, has queried
the decision of the state Governor, Seriake Dickson, to appoint 35
permanent secretaries three months to the end of his
administration.

Dickson at the weekend inaugurated 35 permanent secretaries and
a Commissioner, Mr. Felix Sam-Ateki and charged them to work with
the incoming administration to ensure full implementation of the
civil service reforms.

The governor said his administration would soon receive the
formal report of the reforms which he noted would be one of the key
documents to be handed over to the next government.

While congratulating the new permanent secretaries on their
appointment, Dickson called on them to avoid partisan politics and
focus on the execution of policies and programmes of
government.

He said: “As you go to your various Ministries, Departments and
Agencies to ensure the public/civil service is programmed and made
ready to work and support policies and programmes of the next
administration, you are not to dabble into the political squabbles
of the day.

“You are not to be part of the dust of political conflicts . I
charge you all to maintain neutrality and focus on the execution of
the policies and programmes of government.

“I urge you all and the entire civil service to brace up to
execute the policies of the government of the day loyally and as
ably as you can.”

But the APC in a statement signed by its State Secretary, Alabo
Martins, chided the governor saying that the party was aware of
many clandestine indiscriminate employment going on across various
MDAs without recourse to due process.

He said while they were not averse to such appointments,
especially if they were in tandem with civil service rules and
regulations, they had their reservations with regard to the timing
of the appointments.

Martins said: “If the outgoing administration was aware of the
existence of these vacancies in the top echelon of the public
service of the state and that the situation was creating a lull in
the service, why were the vacancies left unfilled until the
eventide of the administration.

“No doubt, the appointments are in bad taste just as the motive
is clearly political and an effort to put the popular in coming
government on a bad light by ensuring that we are financially
transgulated.

“We appreciate the fact that until February 14, 2020, the
present administration has the constitutional powers to hire and
fire but this responsibility should be carried out in the best
interest of the state and its people. We must say that the present
scenario is just for the satisfaction of some political interests
and therefore falls far short of the wider interests of the
state.

“We advise the Government to concentrate on completing
uncompleted projects,such as the 8year old Isaac Boro express way.
We also call on bayelsans to hold the restoration government
response in the future if some of these decisions are reviewed for
the betterment of bayelsa

“We are aware that employment is a means of empowering citizens
of the state, mostly the youths. It curtails restiveness and other
social vices in the state.

However, the employment of the the restoration government does
not follow acceptable procedures, apart from the Forest Officers
and few others.

“The government did not lift embargo on employment until January
this year when one thousand graduates were employed. But, pockets
of employment were carried out from time to time with names
directly forwarded by His Excellency the outgoing governor”.

Martins said the appointments were supposed to be on
geographical spread to the eight local governments areas but that
they were one-sided with some local councils having more than
others.

“The rules and procedures do not allow applicants to apply for
employment directly to the Governor. But, this is practice in the
state. Integration of officers from the plastic industry was
haphazardly done. It created avenue for irregularities in the
system which allows illegal employments into the civil service.

“This created irregular transfer of officers from one
organisation or establishments to another under the governor’s
directives. The officers are moved without promotions and were
stagnated on grade level for example environmental sanitation
authority staff moved to SUBEB, and from SUBEB to civil service.
Then from SSSB/Radio Bayelsa etc to the international institute of
tourism and hospitality and to the civil service.

“Transferring officers to MDAS without considering the promotion
prospects and headship of department by deserving or serving
officers.

No vacancy is sort in the relevant grade and cadre before the
transfer is effected.

No proper applications and routing of letters by applicants
before transfers are effected for some officers”, he said.