- Photo: Dr Yemi-Esan (4th from left, front row) and others at the media parley*
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoS), Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, has revealed that the process of recruitment of permanent secretaries into the Federal Civil Service has always been transparent and fair.
The HoS stated this on Wednesday in Abuja at a media parley with correspondents and editors of media houses as part of the 2022 civil service week celebration.
She stated that to ensure that the process of recruitment of permanent secretaries are in the open, the office of the HoS always involve the Economic and Financial Crime Commission EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ICPC and the Department of State Service DSS to monitor proceedings during the examination. She said the recruitment process is not a hidden one or a close-house one from the public. She added that people from the private sector and those from the Lagos Business School are always part of the people that are involved in setting of questions for the prospective permanent secretary candidates.
She stated that despite pressure from different quarters to manipulate the the process, she has always maintained her stand that right things be done. She however said those who always pick holes in the process are those who did not pass the examination and want sympathy from the public.
“Some are just bent on destroying the process (of recruitment of new permanent secretaries) because they cannot make it. To ensure that the process is as transparent as it can be, we always involve the EFCC, ICPC and the DSS during the examination. We also involve private sector to be part of the questions and people from the Lagos Business School. The recruitment of permanent secretary is not a close-house process and it is not hidden and it is difficult to manipulate. After the whole process, candidates’ scores are posted online for them to see after it must have undergone thorough check by the examiners who are usually a serving permanent secretary and a retired permanent secretary. So, most time we don’t respond to reports flying around because we know what we are doing,” the HoS stated.
Dr Yemi-Esan nonetheless stated that the 2022 civil service week celebration is to reposition the age-long institution for better service delivery and also to reengineer the service for quality service delivery to cover six areas namely; capacity building and talent management, performance management system, the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS)/Human Resource, Communication, Digitisation and Staff Welfare.
She said the digitisation process are expected to be championed by the Permanent Secretaries who are must be computer-literate while adding that the office of the Head of Service will be completely digitised by the end of the year.
