FCTA Staff Protest, Reject Deployment Of A New Perm Sec

Members of Staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on the aegis of ‘Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC)’, on Monday, January 15, 2024 embarked on a street protest against the deployment of a new Permanent Secretary by the Head of Service of the Federation.

The staff particularly demanded the full implementation of the FCT Civil Service CommisZsion (CSC) Law 2018, which provided for the appointment of a Permanent Secretary from within the FCTA as against the posting from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation.

The Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, had last week announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had given approval for the posting of 24 Permanent Secretaries to the various Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA).

Among those deployed was Dr Magdalene Ajani, from the Federal Ministry of Transportation to the FCTA to replace the outgoing Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola, who is retiring on January 29, 2024.

While addressing the protesting staff, President of JUAC, Comrade Matilukuro Korede, described the deployment of a new Permanent Secretary from outside the system as an aberration of the FCT Civil Service Commission (CSC) Law.

Korede noted that the Federal Executive Council had in October 2023, approved the implementation of the law establishing a Civil Service Commission (CSC) law for FCT, stressing that the action by the Head of Service of the Federation, was therefore totally at variance with the law as she did not have the power to appoint a Permanent Secretary for the FCT.

Korode further said; “You may also want to recall that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike had in October 2023, announced President Tinubu’s approval for the establishment of Civil Service Commission (CSC) for the FCT.

“The FCT Minister clearly stated that the development would allow career progression for civil servants in the FCT Administration to become Permanent Secretaries, who before now could only get to the position of a director. The directors could not get to the peak of their careers because there was no CSC for FCT,” he said.

The JUAC president while further faulting the action of the Head of Service, called for the full implementation of the FCT CSC Law, saying; “On Thursday, we heard that the Head of Service has announced that she has gotten approval from President Tinubu to deploy another Permanent Secretary to FCT. We felt aggrieved because it is an aberration.

“As we speak, the FCT CSC Law has been gazetted since 2018.

Since 2004, the staff of FCTA have been deprived of becoming Permanent Secretaries and the law to make it possible was signed in 2018 but implementation is a problem.

“Our Minister, Chief Wike took the issue and within a month, secured President Tinubu’s approval for the implementation of the law. But, to our surprise, the Head of Service decided to include a name for appointment as Permanent Secretary for the FCT.

“As far as FCT is concerned, the Permanent Secretary should be appointed from among the qualified directors in the FCTA and not from outside. This will provide an opportunity for the staff of FCTA to get to the peak of their career by becoming a Permanent Secretary.

“Our demand, therefore, is that the appointment of a Permanent Secretary outside the FCTA is an aberration and an anomaly that should be corrected. We are waiting for the implementation of the FCT Civil Service Commission,” Okorode said.

The JUAC President said that if the Head of Service insist on appointing a Permanent Secretary from outside the FCTA, then she has to get the law to be amended to suit that purpose.

Korede told the protesting staff that the FCT Minister had reached out to the leadership of JUAC and asked them to be calm with a promise to meet with President Tinubu over the matter with a view to get it resolve.