BY TEMI OHAKWE, ABUJA – Some aggrieved directors that were barred from participating in the ongoing processes for the selection of Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service have dragged the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan to Court for contempt.
Legal Counsel to the aggrieved directors, Bemdoo Hassan Esq. from Municipal Solicitors, who filed the contempt charges at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, said the move became imperative following the refusal of the Head of Service and the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS) Consultant to comply with an earlier court orders to open the IPPIS Portal for participating directors to update their records as well as participate in the ongoing processes for the selection of Permanent Secretaries.
About 17 directors were disqualified by the screening committee from writing the examination exercise for the position of Permanent Secretary that took place on February 21, 2022 on allegations that they were “ghost” workers.
Angered by the development, the aggrieved directors approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria presided over by Justice O.A Obaseki-Osaghae in suit No: NICN/ABJ/47/2022 with a motion ex-parte seeking to be allowed to participate in the Permanent Secretary selection process as well as carry out the other processes.
Most of the affected directors said that they have been working with the Federal Service for over 30 years and receiving their salaries regularly, adding however that they were denied the opportunity to update their records on the IPPIS platform for the printing of the needed information slip.
The aggrieved directors had earlier secured two court orders against the consultant handling the IPPIS Portal from a Magistrate Court and another Court Order from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria for both the Consultant and the Head of Service to allow them to participate in the selection processes.
All the Court orders were allegedly ignored, a development that prompted the affected directors to return to court to press for contempt charges against the Head of Service.
Their legal Counsel told journalists that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice would be notified in order to brief the President on the matter.
