Group condemns Beyelsa Head of Service tenure elongation

(Nigeria) Bayelsa First Initiative, BFI, has faulted the tenure elongation of  Head of the State Civil Service, Dr Peter Singabele by another six months by Governor Seriake Dickson.

Chief Nathan Egba, Director-General of BFI in a statement, yesterday, said “This development is coming on the heels of the Bayelsa State Government’s inability to pay salaries of their civil servants, teachers, University lecturers, local government employees as well as retirees, after series of Staff Verification exercises since January of this year.

“Workers of some local governments areas such as  Ogbia are been owed up to 13 months salaries despite the bailout funds that were released to the state last year by the Federal Government.

“From the foregoing therefore, we are at a loss as to the basis for the decision to further extend Singabele’s appointment as Head of Service after he had clocked the mandatory retirement age of 60 years or 35 years in service.

“We do not doubt Singabele’s integrity or capacity. If anything we applaud his meritorious service to the state, but we do not believe that there is no other civil servant qualified enough to occupy that exalted office in the entire Bayelsa State Civil Service.

“If however, the governor’s claims that Singabele needed to be around to complete the reorganisation of the civil service is true, then we advice that he be given an appropriate political appointment that will empower him to complete that assignment and perhaps carry out other ones too.

“On the contrary, we believe that this action is in line with Dickson’s penchant for manipulating government institutions and policies for his personal interest. Examples abound, for instance we remember vividly his unfortunate decision to sack the Head of Service he met, who was barely a year in office ostensibly because she was not the most Senior Permanent Secretary at the time of her appointment by his predecessor in office, Chief Timipre Sylva.

“So then, why is he now suddenly bending the rules by not wanting to appoint the next most senior Permanent Secretary to the position of Head of Service?

“Another example is the current incongruous system whereby the entire Bayelsa State Service payroll, as well as the functions of the office of the Accountant -General are being coordinated by his relation and crony, bearing the nomenclature of Special Adviser, Treasury Matters.

“We therefore, call on Governor Dickson to rescind the decision to elongate Singabele’s stay in office, in order not to set a dangerous precedent, as well as destroying what may be left of the morale of the State’s civil servants.”