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Civil Servants Call On President Buhari To Reverse Jonathan’s ‘Insane’ And ‘Illegal’ Appointments

November 5, 2015

The Association of Senior Civil Servants (ASCS) have called upon President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse former President Goodluck Jonathan’s illegal appointments, according to media reports.  

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The ASCS threatened a trade union dispute if these appointments were not reversed.

The group has also demanded an increase in their wages in line with the “declining value of the naira”.

According to a media report, many career civil servants protested the appointment of 530 of former President Jonathan’s “aides and cronies” to the civil service in the last days of his administration.  These appointees were reportedly provided senior level positions starting at the Assistant Director level.  

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the President of ASCS, Mr. Bobboi Bala Kaigama, criticized the current state of the Federal Civil Service.  His statement noted that despite the appointment of illegal candidates, the commission dedicated to the screening of prospective employees, the Federal Civil Service Commission (FSCS), actually dissolved its own recruitment policies.  

The results of this weakening, according to Mr. Kaigama, was the appointment of “civil service officers...to positions without the requisite qualifications, as provided for in the scheme of service.”  

When speaking to Punch Newspaper Mr. Kaigama also made it known that President Buhari had been alerted to the “crisis” and the need to return “sanity” to the system. He stressed that if the issues were not addressed the ASCS would initiate a trade union challenge to President Buhari.

Mr. Kaigama also touched upon the need for highers wages, pointing out that the current wages, “can no longer take us [civil servants] to the bus stop, let alone take us home.”

Currently the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) have created two committees to determine the percentage increase which the civil servants should receive. 

Once these two organizations present their findings, Mr. Kaigama and ASCS will begin negotiations with the Federal Government.