Wednesday 4th June 2014...
Conference resumed sitting at 9:00am, presided over by the chairman.
The votes and proceedings of the previous day were read, amended and adopted.
Announcement:
The deputy chair announced that he will hold a special meeting with some delegates by 3:00 pm and 6:00pmrespectively in his office on the 4th June, 2014 – I was part of the special meeting, wanna know on what? Pay me!!!
Well after that, debate on the committee on Public Service began…
Conference resumed sitting at 9:00am, presided over by the chairman.
The votes and proceedings of the previous day were read, amended and adopted.
Announcement:
The deputy chair announced that he will hold a special meeting with some delegates by 3:00 pm and 6:00pmrespectively in his office on the 4th June, 2014 – I was part of the special meeting, wanna know on what? Pay me!!!
Well after that, debate on the committee on Public Service began…
Some of the recommendation and additional recommendation made were;
- Except otherwise decided, henceforth, legislators at national and state levels would operate on part-time basis, payment of pension, life insurance and severance allowances where such existed are to be cancelled in line with global best practices.
Former lawmakers and aspiring law makers’ of courses did not find it funny, they were quick to kick against the decision on the grounds that holding a political office is not the same thing as being a career public servant; and that the Legislature as presently constituted is operating on part-time basis because members do not sit for a whole week.
A delegate explained to them that part-time in this context meant "no sitting, no payment"
Further recommendations;
- State governors and their deputies are to be exempted from payment of severance allowances, life insurance and payment of pension.
- Each state of the federation should have its own State Character Commission to protect the interest of minority ethnic groups in the state.
This implies that minority groups in the 36 states of the federation would soon enjoy equal treatment in appointments into public service of their different states.
This is meant to address the obvious restrictions to the application of the Federal Character Principles at the state and local government levels.
- Transfers into the directorate level of the civil service from outside be prohibited - don't know why though!
- There should be mandatory training as a basis for consideration for promotion to the middle management level of the service.
- Civil service across the nation should operate common rules and practices so that the citizenry is not confronted with different procedures when dealing with each arm and tier of government.
- They also recommended that retirement age for civil servants, in line with international best practice, be fixed at 65 or forty years of active service; from the present practice of 60 years of age or 35 - Well I told them that I am willing to leave the civil service before I complete 35years as a sacrifice for my future children so we expect them to make such sacrifice for us and leave it as it is - status quo.
- Creation of a separate Foreign Service Commission with a chairman and six commissioners, one of whom should be from each of the six geo-political zones.
- Efforts be made by government at all levels to make public offices disability-friendly by providing special access facilities in line with international charters and treaties.
- Government at all levels should add allowances equivalent to Salary Grade Level 6 to the pay of each of the Persons Living with Disability to enable them employ an aide.
- Need for the appointment of Secretary to Government of the Federation based on managerial capacity and rich civil service experience which can only be sourced from the pool of retired top civil servants.
- Minimize disparities in the public sector pay, particularly between political appointees, public officers, civil servants and the staff of parastatals while emphasizing a friction-free relationship between the political leadership of ministries, departments and agencies and their top civil servants.
- Henceforth, no political appointee, from ministers to commissioners and local government chairmen should employ special advisers, special assistants, and personal assistants or make any such appointments by any name called.
Instead, as a cost saving measure, such political office holders should utilize the staff of their ministries where it becomes necessary, as contained in Circular Reference Number B63833/73 of January 3, 2000.
As another cost-saving measure, the Committee recommended amendment of Section 147(3) of the 1999 Constitution which demands appointment by the President of at least one minister from each state of the federation.
Instead, it asked that the section be reframed to indicate that the President shall appoint not more than one minister from each state of the federation.
This recommendation is expected to restrict the President from appointing six more ministers from each of the six geo-political zones as has been the practice since the provision does not limit the president from appointing more than one minister from a state.
- Full implementation of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to ensure payroll integrity and eliminate ghost workers in the civil service, parastatals, the Legislature, the Judiciary, the military and para-military was also recommended.
- Describing budget as a major tool for attaining government’s socio-economic development objectives through sectoral allocation of financial resources, the committee said doubts have been raised recently on the efficacy of budgets.
It said these concerns have led to the rethinking of budgeting and financial management systems and has constituted one of the major pillars of public service reforms. Going further, the Committee said the essence of budget reform and expenditure control is to make budget systems more transparent and ensure a more strategic approach to resource allocation and management.
In order to strengthen the budget performance and expenditure management process, the Committee recommended the establishment of a national framework for monitoring and evaluating budget performance.
It also recommended that every Appropriation Bill sent to the National Assembly should include key performance indicators and effective sanctions for non-performance.
- In the fight against corruption, the Committee tasked anti-corruption agencies to ensure that every anti-corruption fight addresses the root cause of corruption such as poor remuneration in the public service, lack of social security, degenerated value system that encourages wealth accumulation and lack of social security.
The report called for diligent prosecution of all cases of corruption and, particularly, the creation of special courts for speedy determination of corruption cases; while also emphasizing the need for monitoring of the lifestyle of public officers and enforcement of the provisions of Code of Conduct Bureau.
- On incentives for public servants, service welfare and productivity, the Committee said the civil service is simply bereft of any meaningful benefit, especially since the implementation of the monetization policy.
It observed that retirees under the old pension scheme have been exposed to a lot of hardships due to irregular payment of pension and gratuity; a situation it said has been compounded by non-compliance with the constitutional provision for periodic review of pension.
In its recommendations, the Committee said anyone indicted for corruption in relation to pension administration should be promptly brought to justice.
The Committee urged the Conference to demand that relevant sections of the Pensions Reform Act which requires that investment of part of the funds from the Contributory Pension Scheme in real estate sector to boost availability of mortgage be adhered to.
It said operations of the National Health Insurance Scheme be overhauled because contributors to the scheme are currently left without coverage as their health requirements and those of members of their families “are just not being met under the Scheme.”
On labour issues and the minimum wage, the Committee recommended that since the minimum wage is fixed at a level just above the poverty line, and it is the duty of the Federal Government to ensure that the pay of every Nigerian is above the poverty line, it was necessary to have it retained in the Exclusive Legislative list.
It was the recommendation of the Committee that a new sub-section be introduced in the 1999 Constitution that would compel government to review public sector pay every five years to take cognizance of trends in the cost of living.
In addition, it said a new study of job content and pay structure of both the public and the private sectors should be swiftly undertaken to ensure that comparable work in the public sector vis-à-vis the private sector attracts comparable pay.
As a premise for harmonization of pay in the paraststals and agencies with what obtains in the civil service, the Committee called for immediate job evaluation in the entire public service.
This, it stated, would not only restore relativity between the pay in the parastatals and agencies vis-avis that of the civil service, but is also capable of reducing the size of the recurrent budget.
After debate, we adjourned at 6:12 pmto conclude adoption and rejection of amendments the following day - Thursday 5th June 2014 at 9am ...
Former lawmakers and aspiring law makers’ of courses did not find it funny, they were quick to kick against the decision on the grounds that holding a political office is not the same thing as being a career public servant; and that the Legislature as presently constituted is operating on part-time basis because members do not sit for a whole week.
A delegate explained to them that part-time in this context meant "no sitting, no payment"
Further recommendations;
- State governors and their deputies are to be exempted from payment of severance allowances, life insurance and payment of pension.
- Each state of the federation should have its own State Character Commission to protect the interest of minority ethnic groups in the state.
This implies that minority groups in the 36 states of the federation would soon enjoy equal treatment in appointments into public service of their different states.
This is meant to address the obvious restrictions to the application of the Federal Character Principles at the state and local government levels.
- Transfers into the directorate level of the civil service from outside be prohibited - don't know why though!
- There should be mandatory training as a basis for consideration for promotion to the middle management level of the service.
- Civil service across the nation should operate common rules and practices so that the citizenry is not confronted with different procedures when dealing with each arm and tier of government.
- They also recommended that retirement age for civil servants, in line with international best practice, be fixed at 65 or forty years of active service; from the present practice of 60 years of age or 35 - Well I told them that I am willing to leave the civil service before I complete 35years as a sacrifice for my future children so we expect them to make such sacrifice for us and leave it as it is - status quo.
- Creation of a separate Foreign Service Commission with a chairman and six commissioners, one of whom should be from each of the six geo-political zones.
- Efforts be made by government at all levels to make public offices disability-friendly by providing special access facilities in line with international charters and treaties.
- Government at all levels should add allowances equivalent to Salary Grade Level 6 to the pay of each of the Persons Living with Disability to enable them employ an aide.
- Need for the appointment of Secretary to Government of the Federation based on managerial capacity and rich civil service experience which can only be sourced from the pool of retired top civil servants.
- Minimize disparities in the public sector pay, particularly between political appointees, public officers, civil servants and the staff of parastatals while emphasizing a friction-free relationship between the political leadership of ministries, departments and agencies and their top civil servants.
- Henceforth, no political appointee, from ministers to commissioners and local government chairmen should employ special advisers, special assistants, and personal assistants or make any such appointments by any name called.
Instead, as a cost saving measure, such political office holders should utilize the staff of their ministries where it becomes necessary, as contained in Circular Reference Number B63833/73 of January 3, 2000.
As another cost-saving measure, the Committee recommended amendment of Section 147(3) of the 1999 Constitution which demands appointment by the President of at least one minister from each state of the federation.
Instead, it asked that the section be reframed to indicate that the President shall appoint not more than one minister from each state of the federation.
This recommendation is expected to restrict the President from appointing six more ministers from each of the six geo-political zones as has been the practice since the provision does not limit the president from appointing more than one minister from a state.
- Full implementation of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to ensure payroll integrity and eliminate ghost workers in the civil service, parastatals, the Legislature, the Judiciary, the military and para-military was also recommended.
- Describing budget as a major tool for attaining government’s socio-economic development objectives through sectoral allocation of financial resources, the committee said doubts have been raised recently on the efficacy of budgets.
It said these concerns have led to the rethinking of budgeting and financial management systems and has constituted one of the major pillars of public service reforms. Going further, the Committee said the essence of budget reform and expenditure control is to make budget systems more transparent and ensure a more strategic approach to resource allocation and management.
In order to strengthen the budget performance and expenditure management process, the Committee recommended the establishment of a national framework for monitoring and evaluating budget performance.
It also recommended that every Appropriation Bill sent to the National Assembly should include key performance indicators and effective sanctions for non-performance.
- In the fight against corruption, the Committee tasked anti-corruption agencies to ensure that every anti-corruption fight addresses the root cause of corruption such as poor remuneration in the public service, lack of social security, degenerated value system that encourages wealth accumulation and lack of social security.
The report called for diligent prosecution of all cases of corruption and, particularly, the creation of special courts for speedy determination of corruption cases; while also emphasizing the need for monitoring of the lifestyle of public officers and enforcement of the provisions of Code of Conduct Bureau.
- On incentives for public servants, service welfare and productivity, the Committee said the civil service is simply bereft of any meaningful benefit, especially since the implementation of the monetization policy.
It observed that retirees under the old pension scheme have been exposed to a lot of hardships due to irregular payment of pension and gratuity; a situation it said has been compounded by non-compliance with the constitutional provision for periodic review of pension.
In its recommendations, the Committee said anyone indicted for corruption in relation to pension administration should be promptly brought to justice.
The Committee urged the Conference to demand that relevant sections of the Pensions Reform Act which requires that investment of part of the funds from the Contributory Pension Scheme in real estate sector to boost availability of mortgage be adhered to.
It said operations of the National Health Insurance Scheme be overhauled because contributors to the scheme are currently left without coverage as their health requirements and those of members of their families “are just not being met under the Scheme.”
On labour issues and the minimum wage, the Committee recommended that since the minimum wage is fixed at a level just above the poverty line, and it is the duty of the Federal Government to ensure that the pay of every Nigerian is above the poverty line, it was necessary to have it retained in the Exclusive Legislative list.
It was the recommendation of the Committee that a new sub-section be introduced in the 1999 Constitution that would compel government to review public sector pay every five years to take cognizance of trends in the cost of living.
In addition, it said a new study of job content and pay structure of both the public and the private sectors should be swiftly undertaken to ensure that comparable work in the public sector vis-à-vis the private sector attracts comparable pay.
As a premise for harmonization of pay in the paraststals and agencies with what obtains in the civil service, the Committee called for immediate job evaluation in the entire public service.
This, it stated, would not only restore relativity between the pay in the parastatals and agencies vis-avis that of the civil service, but is also capable of reducing the size of the recurrent budget.
After debate, we adjourned at 6:12 pmto conclude adoption and rejection of amendments the following day - Thursday 5th June 2014 at 9am ...
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