The Senate, on Tuesday, passed a resolution mandating its Committee on Establishment and Public Service Matters to conduct a comprehensive investigation into alleged imbalances and violations related to the recruitment and deployment of officers by the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) and other related agencies.
The motion for this investigation was sponsored by Senator Titus Zam (APC Benue North West) during a plenary session.
In his address, Senator Zam emphasized the necessity of upholding the federal character principle within the FCSC. He highlighted that the Commission was established with the purpose of recruiting and deploying qualified officers to serve in the federal civil service.
He further noted that the central pillar of the Commission’s mission, to build a focused, disciplined, committed, and patriotic civil service, relies on the fair and equitable advertisement of job vacancies for prospective applicants.
However, Senator Zam expressed his concern that allegations of illegal recruitment and employment into the service have surfaced, which contradicts the Commission’s vision.
He also pointed out that this issue seems to have affected various ministries, departments, and agencies, leaving virtually no department untouched.
Citing the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, who disclosed the discovery of 1,618 civil servants with fake employment letters ahead of the 2023 Civil Service Week in July, Senator Zam questioned why the introduction of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) has not effectively eliminated these irregularities as intended.
He mentioned that some government employees exploit insider abuse to undermine the efficiency of the system, engage in ‘salary padding,’ and include ghost names in payrolls, among other fraudulent activities.
Senator Zam warned that if prompt action is not taken to enforce the federal character principle and rectify the existing imbalances, these anomalies could erode cohesion within the civil service, leading to detrimental effects on governance and service delivery.