By Igbaji Moshor
As Governor Bassey Edet Otu tries to straightened gray areas in both public and civil service in the state and reposition the state for economic growth and development, it is pertinent to look deeply at the state civil service rules and issues bordering promotions of senior civil servants in the state. The past administration of Governor Ben Ayade commercialized and politicized the appointments of Directors and Permanent Secretaries, thus making a mockery of the state civil service. And sadly enough, a similar trend is in concert in Governor Otu’s administration and this calls for concern.
The Cross River State Civil Service consists of employees in the state government agencies, who are career civil servants and progressed in ranks based on qualifications, years of service and seniority. For the senior directorate, one of the very most significant promotion qualification is the “Compulsory Examination for Administrative and Professional Officers” (COMPRO) and officers who fail such examination are not to be promoted and those who fail such exams up to three times, are either asked to resign or their appointment terminated as prescribed by the civil service rules. The same is applicable even at Nigeria Federal Civil Service, as such exams is a statutory requirement for the career progression of all staff in the civil and public service. See Approval for the Compulsory Exams for Civil Servants In 2023 with Ref. No. HCSF/MDO/MP/754/S. 11/116.
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Unfortunately, the last eight years or so, the state has failed to upheld this rule in the promotions of civil servants, especially those progressing to the senior cadre, directors and even permanent secretaries. This has translated to gross inadequacies, indolent attitude and decay observed in the Cross River State Civil Service. Such compromise, is tantamount to the Governor’s zeal of repositioning the state. Following Governor Otu removal of employment embargo and the subsequent employment of Cross Riverians to the state civil service, a feat that governor Ayade trivialized, commercialized and politicized, yet failed to achieve, the present administration must raise up to stop the ugly trend of civil servants becoming Directors, Permanent Secretaries or even Head of Service without passing the “Compulsory Examination for Administrative and Professional Officers” (COMPRO). Some of these civil servants woefully failed this examination, while others have blatantly refused to write the compulsory performance evaluation test or examination call (COMPRO), in line with Civil Service rules or Scheme of Service for the State (2004), with circular reference no: GO/HOS/CR/MPOT/SLV/42/VOLXB/688. Suffice to say that past administrations commercialized and politicized promotions for directors, permanent secretaries and even head of service without the requisite qualification.
The negative effect of this on the service cannot be overemphasized, as there will be a traditional lose of values, lose of institutional memories and a segmented civil service, de-conforming to civil service rules. Again, any civil servant who refuses to write the COMPRO exams, either as Director or Permanent Secretary depicts that such a fellow has recused himself/herself from further promotion to the Directorate Cadre, Permanent Secretary and even HOS, thus placing his/herself in the recalcitrant list of non-conformists. Such a person should not be trusted with a zenith position in the state civil service.
Governor Otu must not encourage the path of legalizing illegality in the state civil service.
