Headline

305 Directors Fail FG’s Exams In Four Years, Say Reports

Published

1 month ago

June 1, 2024

Editor

No fewer than 305 directors have failed the written examination for appointment into the offices of permanent secretaries of the Federal Civil Service in the last four years, The PUNCH investigation has shown.

Recall that no fewer than civil servants who sat the 2022 FCS Promotion examinations failed, according to a list issued by the FCS Commission on November 30, 2023.

No fewer than 13,000 civil servants sat the 2022 examination, which was held in about 69 Computer Based Test centres across the country, while the candidates were drawn from the core civil service, the Nigeria Police, and other para-military and specialised agencies.

The letter, tagged FC.6241/S.35/Vol.xi/ T12/268, was signed by the Director of Promotions, Sani Bello, and addressed to the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

A list attached to the letter noted that only 3,851 civil servants out of the over 13,000 civil servants who sat the promotion examination passed.

In the list, it was stated that 139 officers were promoted from the post of Assistant Chief Administrative Officer to Chief Administrative Officer.

A total of 191 were also promoted to the post of Assistant Chief Administrative Officer from the role of Principal Administrative Officer, just as a total of 313 civil servants were promoted from the role of Senior Administrative Officer to Principal Administrative Officer, while a total of 191 were promoted to Senior Administrative Officer from the role of Administrative Officer 1 among others.

However, an investigation by Saturday PUNCH showed that no fewer than 305 directors out of 664 have so far failed the qualifying examinations of the FCS between 2020 and 2024.

In September 2020, no fewer than nine directors in the FCS failed the first stage of a re-sit promotional exam as only 14 were shortlisted for a second round of the test out of the 23 directors who took the exam.

Similarly, in June 2021, another 21 directors on Salary Grade Level 17 in the FCS, who sat a written exam as part of the process of appointing them as permanent secretaries, also failed the examination.

The 21 directors were among 46 senior officers, who took the examination in Abuja on Monday, May 31, 2021.

The remaining 25 of them, who passed the examination, made it to the next stage, which was the Information Communication Technology proficiency test which was held on Thursday, June 3, 2021.

However, in February 2022, another 37 directors failed the FCS qualifying examination organised to fill vacant positions of permanent secretaries declared by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

A total of 74 directors had sat for the examination, but only 37 of them scored 50 per cent and above while the other 37 scored below 50 per cent, which amounted to failure.

A circular obtained from the OHCSF with reference number HCSF/PS/CMO/154/I/70 and signed by Olusola Idowu on behalf of the Examination Committee explained that the 37 directors, who passed the examination, would sit an ICT proficiency test in Abuja few days later.

However in August of that same year, another 137 persons out of the 344 civil servants on the directorate cadre jostling to be appointed as principals of the nation’s 110 unity schools across the country failed the examination organised by the Federal Ministry of Education.

The PUNCH gathered that the 207 directors, who passed the computer-based competency test, were scheduled for oral interviews after the examination.

In a similar vein, no fewer than 61 directors failed the written examination for the appointment of new permanent secretaries in the FCS, which was held on Monday, November 6, 2023.

A total of 85 directors were initially shortlisted for the examination out of which four were absent while only 20 directors passed the exam and were invited to the next stage which was the ICT proficiency stage.

According to a memo dated November 7, 2023, obtained from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation which was dated, the 61 directors who failed the examination scored below 50 per cent, which disqualified them from the race.

More so, another 40 directors recently failed the qualifying examination for appointment to the position of permanent secretary.

A total of 92 directors were listed to sit the examination, which took place on May 27, 2024.

While 40 directors scored below 50 per cent, which indicated failure, according to the result of the examination obtained by our correspondent in Abuja, three were absent while one director could not complete the exam.

A May 28, 2024 memo by the Office of the Head of Service tagged, “HCSF/ CMO/ AOD/012/IX/59’ noted that the next test would be an ICT-based test.
PUNCH

Headline

Obasanjo Visits South-East Govs, Moves For Nnamdi Kanu’s Release

Published

43 mins ago

July 2, 2024

Editor

The South East Governors, on Tuesday, hosted former President Olusegun Obasanjo who paid the governors a solidarity visit while they decided to meet President Bola Tinubu to press for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Addressing the media, after over seven hours of marathon meeting, the Governors of the region who were all in attendance also set up a burial committee by Former Senate President, Anyim, Pius Anyim, for the late minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.

According to the Chairman of the South East Governors Forum and Governor of Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodinma, “The Forum commiserates with the family of Ebonyi, Abia, Imo and indeed the entire South East region and entire the family of Ogbonnaya Onu on the demise of His Excellency Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.

“The Forum received a delegation of the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and His Royal Majesty Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, who came on a solidarity visit to this Forum.

“The Forum deliberated on the reviewed report of the South East security and economic summit held in Owerri Imo state on the 28 September 2023 and agreed to implement the aspect of the report about security and economic integration of the South East region and affirmed its desire to put actionable plan on the key issues agreed.

“The Forum resolved to visit Mr. President to discuss all pressing issues concerning the South East region. The Forum also deliberated and resolved to interface with the Federal Government to secure the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”

Other members of the Ogbonnaya Onu burial committee included the former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amechi who serves as the Secretary of the committee, and other Igbo leaders drawn from the Igbo-speaking states.

Headline

Protest, Unrest Looms As BEDC Disconnects UNIBEN From National Grid

Published

3 hours ago

July 2, 2024

Editor

Students and staff of the University of Benin, UNIBEN, are sitting on the edge of provocation that could lead to unrest and strike over power outage in the school which has been on for over a month now.

The issue has now been compounded as the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC Plc, the power distribution company in Edo State, servicing the school, last week formally disconnected the school from its services as a result of non-payment of bills.

The reason behind the electricity crisis is attributed to the recent increase in electricity tariff for some categories of consumers as approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC ) which reportedly shot up the university’s monthly electricity bill from N80 million to over N250 million.

The non-availability of electricity on the campus is putting a strain on the students and staff as they, including lecturers, have resorted to using solar powered facilities including lights in their offices with others using generators.

The health centre at the Ugbowo campus is worst hit as health officials don’t have access to light from 10 pm when the three hours the school put on its generating set is exhausted daily and at times, workers on night duty use torchlights.

Strategic offices including the secretariat of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) run on generators and there is no substantive Students Union Government (SUG) since the union was disbanded after some of its officials invaded the Senior Staff Quarters when a governorship candidate was their guest, an action that was seen as an affront on the management and staff of the university by the students.

The students are at the mercy of the management of the school as at now.

The BEDC disconnected the university from its services following their inability to reach agreement over the contentious electricity billing.

The obvious implication is that staff cannot deliver on their work 100 percent “because it is only the administrative block that the generator can power throughout working hours” and the students cannot have a conducive environment to learn.

When contacted, the Head, Branding and Corporate Communications of BEDC, Mrs. Evelyn Gbiwen, attributed the increase in energy tariff to the directive of the NERC. “The new tariff system determines what ‘Band A’ customers would pay, there is nothing deliberate about any customer.

“It is a general policy that when customers don’t pay their bills, they will be disconnected. And it is when such a customer pays his bills that he would be reconnected,” she added.

The Public Relations Officer of the University, Mrs Beneditta Ehanire, when contacted said “Management is bending backwards really but will continue to sue for patience because everyone is tensed. Yesterday, a tanker was engaged to supply water to a hostel that had a water challenge.”

The statement the University issued a few weeks ago said the University paid the over eighty million Naira monthly bill up till April, 2024 in the two campuses of Ugbowo and Ekehuan.

“The delay to Pay the May bill is as a result of the disputed astronomically increased bill of over two hundred and fifty million naira, monthly, thrust on the University by BEDC.

“Despite the challenges, Management of the University has gone the length to ensure that students do not suffer unduly by providing generator light to all the hostels between the hours of 6am to 7am and 7pm to 10pm daily.

“Management appeals once again to staff and students to be patient and to demonstrate understanding of the situation as it is also exploring alternative power sources including solar energy.”

Headline

JUST IN: South-East Governors To Meet Nigerian Govt Over Nnamdi Kanu

Published

3 hours ago

July 2, 2024

Editor

South-East governors, on Tuesday, announced that they will interface with the federal government for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

This formed part of the communiqué issued after a meeting of the Forum in Enugu.

At the meeting, which also had other stakeholders in attendance, were governors Hope Uzodinma, Dr. Alex Otti, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru of Imo, Abia, Anambra and Ebonyi states, respectively, as well as the host, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State.

The communiqué reads,

“The Forum commiserated with Government and people of Abia State, Ebonyi State, Imo State, South East, Nigeria and Chief Ogbonnaya Onu’s Family on the demise of His Excellency, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.

“The Forum received the delegation of the Former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, GCON, and His Royal Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, CFR, Obi of Onitsha who came on a solidarity visit to the Forum.

“The Forum deliberated on the reviewed report of the South East Security and economic Summit held in Owerri on the 28th September, 2023 and agreed to implement the aspects of the report pertaining to security and economic integration and affirmed its desire to put actionable plans on the key issues agreed.

“The Forum resolved to visit Mr. President to discuss pressing issues concerning the South East Region.

“The Forum also resolved to interface with the Federal Government to secure the release of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.”