President Bola Tinubu has directed that officials responsible for enabling civil servants who relocated abroad without formal resignation and continued receiving salaries be identified and punished. He made this declaration on Saturday night at the Continental Hotel in Abuja during the award and gala night marking the 2024 Civil Service Week.
“I am pleased to be present at the 2024 Civil Service Award and Gala Night, the climax of the week-long 2024 Civil Service Week. During my recent visit to South Africa, I kept abreast of the week’s activities and was particularly struck by the revelations shared by the Head of the Civil Service regarding employees who had relocated abroad while drawing salaries without formally resigning,” President Tinubu said.
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“It is heartening to hear that measures have been taken to address this issue, but we must ensure those responsible are held accountable and restitution is made. The culprits must be made to refund the money they have fraudulently collected. Their supervisors and department heads must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch.”
“The Nigerian Civil Service cannot just be a workplace where ‘anything is possible,’ where workers violate rules without the fear of punishment or repercussion. The civil service of any nation is too important for such misconduct to take root or be tolerated.”
“The Civil Service is the bedrock, the engine, the locomotive of government, which is necessary for the government to deliver public goods to citizens. As politicians, we are no more than drivers of the locomotives that you provide. Those who say that a nation is as good as its civil service are close to the truth. You are the real establishment that remains to pilot government affairs as we politicians come and go.”
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“Therefore, we are steadfast in our commitment to cultivating, empowering, and professionalizing our human capital within the Civil Service. It is imperative to foster a culture of excellence and instill confidence among our civil servants. Our administration acknowledges the challenges the civil service faces. I want to give you the assurance that we are committed to ensuring the welfare and development of all civil servants to deliver optimal performance for the growth of our nation.”
