Segun Akanni, Toronto, Canada 
The Osun state government has approved sacking of civil servants involved in acts that breach the service’s rules and regulations.
A statement signed by the state Head of Service, Festus O. Oyebade on Friday, September 13 disclosed that the state Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola has approved that civil servants who violet the rules of the service should be disengaged from the service.
The state government had between 2013 and 2015 eganged a private organisation to conduct staff audit during which different levels of infractions were discovered.
The statement made available to newsmen on Friday evening reads, “Due to paucity of fund in the state and the attendant huge wage bill of public servant between 2013 and 2015, the immediate past administration in the state engaged the leadership of the labour movement in the state on the way forward. Thereafter a staff audit committee was inaugurated to carry out staff audit with a view to ensuring that the public service was rid of ghost workers”.
“Thereafter the state engaged the services of captain consulting firm to carry out certificate verification exercise of all public servant in year 2015. The firm submitted its report and it was accepted and approved for implementation by the immediate past administration”.
“However, when the new administration came on board in November 2018 the leadership of the organized labour movement in the state appealed passionatly to the government to have a rethink on the implementation of the report”.
“After much pressure from the labour movement, the governor approved the Constitution of a 5-member committee to further examine the report and make appropriate recommendation in line with extant public service rules and regulations.
The committe having critically examined the report of the consultant recommended that some pulic officers who were earlier indicted by the report especially those in the union cader be left off the hook in view of peculiar administrative exigencies which the Governor graciously approved”.
“Cases of some officers were reviewed and such officers were recommended for demotion, while other officers whose cases could not be glossed over because of its grave nature on the public service were recommended and subsequently approved by the state government to be relieved of their appointment to serve as deterrent to others”.
“Consequently, agencies of government through their various boards and Commissions have been directed to implement forthwith the aspect of the report as it affect their services”.
“Copies of the report have been dispatched to the appropriate Commissions, boards, councils and management for immediate implementation”.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Osun Chapter said the union intervened in the issue because the outcome of the firm that conducted the audit is not the true reflection of what happened, hence, it seek the new administration’s understanding to review the report.
The initial report alleged that about 5000 civil servants were involved but when the report was reviewed only 422 were culpable and their case was beyond intervention due to the rules of the service.
“We were able to intercede for them to ensure that they were not sued for criminal charges or even refund the money they earn during their stay with government”.
“We were involved in the process from the beginning and that was the reason we insisted that the report and recommendations be reviewed”, he added
