Gov Bala Demotes Civil Servants For ‘Indiscriminate Use Of Professional Certificates’

By Umar Usman Duguri

Bauchi state government has on Tuesday ordered for the immediate de-ranking of all accounting officers that were converted and subsequently promoted without recognized professional certificates in the state civil service.

A letter dated 10th August and obtained by DESERT HERALD which emanated from the office of the Head of service Bauchi, said officers that had acquired ANAN or ICAN should be downgraded to one grade lower to avoid cases of ‘supersession’ of their colleagues could not be promoted due to lack of necessary professional certificates.

The letter signed by the Deputy Director of establishment, Mohammed Garba Sadiq and addressed to the Chief of Staff, government house, directed that all officers who were converted and subsequently promoted with the unrecognized professional certificates but yet to acquire either ANAN or ICAN should be reverted to the appropriate grade levels in line with their current qualifications.

The letter also directed that all officers converted or promoted with the unrecognized professional certificates that have retired between the year 2000 to February 2020 that are on pension payroll should be downgraded by one grade level and their terminal benefits be based on their new grade levels.

The circular also directed that all converted and subsequently promoted officers with unrecognized certificates that are due for retirement between February to December 2020 should be reverted to their appropriate grade levels in line with their qualifications.

According to the directives, the effective date of the reversal and cancellation of the unrecognized professional certificates and conversion/promotions in the public service of Bauchi is 25th February, 2020 as approved by Governor Bala Mohammed.

“To this end, I am further directed to request all accounting officers of ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately comply with the EXCO decisions as this circular supersedes the earlier one”, the letter read in part.

The letter also directed that the Head of civil service should be furnish with appropriate updates of compliance to the directives accordingly.

Desert herald recalls that the Bauchi State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, had on the 10th of August, given the Bauchi State Government seven days ultimatum to resolve what it calls “all the problems on pending workers issues and other entitlements in the state”.

The NLC had threatened that the union may take a line of action that will not guarantee industrial harmony in the state if the State government fails to comply with its demand.

Since, Bala Muhammad take over the mantle of leadership, lots of reforms and issues have been raised as a means of rationalizations.