Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), says it has mobilised members to force the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, out of office over his refusal to proceed on retirement after attaining 60 years of age.

 

The union, which said it had mobilised its Abuja members to storm the parastatal, was supposed to occupy his office until he leaves the position.

 

A statement by ASCSN’s Secretary-General, Alade Bashir Lawal, said Idris, who turned 60 years on November 25, 2020, was due for retirement and should therefore vacate the position to allow others to advance to the peak of their career.

 

The workers posited that they could no longer accept a situation where civil servants, who head government agencies or become permanent secretaries, would stay in office and refuse to retire.

 

Alade maintained that the practice was gradually destroying the service, adding that apart from demoralising senior civil servants, who had served the country for decades but could no longer advance to the peak of their career because their positions were being blocked by people, who claimed to be related to powerful persons in the Presidency.

 

He regretted that despite the very clear provision on retirement in the civil service, some heads of agencies continued to sit tight in their offices refusing to exit the service on the spurious ground that they had links with Mr President and consequently could not be subjected to public service rules.

 

He said: “the ASCSN, Public Service Rule (PSR) 020810 states clearly that the compulsory retirement age for all grades in the Service shall be 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier.

 

“No Officer shall be allowed to remain in service after attaining the retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier.

 

“Those parading themselves as president’s men might just be name-droppers as President Buhari, a disciplined General, could not be encouraging impunity of any form.

 

“This negative report from the end of Alhaji Idris is particularly painful and disturbing, because the post of Accountant-General of the Federation is a career one, and it is strictly guided by the provisions of the Public Service Rule 020810.”

“The 1999 Constitution as amended empowered the civil service to make its own Rules and that led to the formulation of the Public Service Rules, Financial Regulations, Federal Civil Service Commission Guidelines on Appointment, Promotion and Discipline in the service, which are inseparable components of Public Service regulations designed to enhance efficient and effective service delivery to the citizens.

 

“Moreover, there are about 200 qualified directors in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation with requisite educational qualifications and vast experience to occupy that exalted office as stipulated in section 86 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended,” the union said.

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