Simon Utebor, Yenagoa
The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have kicked against the decision of the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, to extend the service of the retired Head of Service, Dr. Peter Singabele, by six months.
Other groups that have joined the labour unions to criticise the extension are the Bayelsa First Initiative and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Bayelsa State chapter.
But a statement sent through the office of the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, had said the extension of Singabele’s appointment was in exercise of the governor’s executive powers.
The statement quoted the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff, as saying that the extension was informed by the numerous important ongoing service-related issues being handled by Singabele.
It said allowing the retired Singabele “to leave the service now” could be detrimental to the administration’s programme of repositioning the civil service for greater efficiency.
Dickson had also extended the appointment of Mr. Joseph Akedesuo as Permanent Secretary and Head of State Protocol Services for a period of one year.
Apart from the opposition by the NLC and other groups, the action of the governor was said to be causing bad blood among the permanent secretaries and other senior civil servants, who allegedly accused Dickson of violating the civil service rules.
The NLC and TUC called on Dickson to appoint a new HoS to fill the exalted vacant position with immediate effect.
The state NLC Chairman, Mr. Ndiomu Bipre, and his TUC counterpart, Mr. Tari Dounana, in a statement, warned against the politicisation of the HoS office in the state.
According to them, no HoS stays in office beyond the retirement age of 60 or 35 years, whichever is applicable.
They said, “The continuous stay of the current Head of …Read More