It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the National Delegates Conference of our great union, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, holding here in Benin, the Capital of Edo State. I am extremely delighted that we are once again coming together to fulfill this all important mandate thrust on us by our Constitution which is to inject new blood into the system or reinvigorate the old one after the completion of the tenure of the outgoing Executive which came on board about four years ago. I wish to say here with every sense of responsibility that the last four years had witnessed monumental achievements in all spheres of our operations. It gladdens my heart that to a very large extent, we have kept faith with the hopes and aspirations of our members and I remain highly confident that with the calibre of men and women the Association is blessed with, the union  will  surely  continue to grow from  strength to  strength and in  leaps

and bounds in the years ahead. The success story of the Association is not unconnected with the leadership’s unwavering posture and uncompromising attitude in respect of welfare matters affecting members. I sincerely hope that with the continued cooperation and support of members, the union in collaboration with other progressive organizations will pursue the agenda of totally liberating the Nigerian workers in particular and the masses in general from the shackles of poverty, want and deprivation which had been their lot since independence. This brings us to the issue of the economy.

THE STATE OF THE NIGERIAN NATION

Mr. Chairman, Fellow Comrades, the state of the Nigerian economy is still very unhealthy in spite of series of prescriptions that are being regularly applied on it. The level of unemployment and under-development in the country for instance are still very high with retrenchment becoming an albatross on the neck of every employee. Nothing seems to be working in spite of the enormous fortunes the nation is blessed with. The art of begging is now becoming more fashionable as able bodied men now roam the streets in search of alms to keep body and soul together. The pains majority of Nigerians are now going through is unbearable. This is not the time to play politics or engage in rhetorics or deceit as witnessed in recent past. The present situation calls for urgent concrete actions aimed at bringing democracy dividends to the door-steps of the people. There is hopelessness in the land as more of our youths who are supposed to be leaders of tomorrow now prefer to travel out of the shores of the country in search of means of survival. Most of them end up doing menial jobs while a host of others constitute themselves into nuisance in foreign lands. The unlucky ones lose their precious lives in the process. Time is therefore fast running out as meaningful and realistic programmes must be put in place to reposition the economy to meet current challenges. We have got it all wrong for so many decades. The ship of state needs to be redirected so that it does not sink. The cry of the populace is real and should not be taken for granted. We earnestly advise that all the reform programmes being put in place should be given a human face so that the poor masses that will be mostly affected can have some palliatives to cushion the effect of a deregulated environment.

TACKLING THE ENERGY CRISIS IN THE COUNTRY

It is disheartening to note that our dear country Nigeria has found it difficult to fix the energy crisis crippling the economy in the past three decades in spite of huge financial outlay injected into the sector particularly since 1999. It has now been confirmed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives that a whopping sum of $16 billion had been spent on providing stable power supply in the last 8 years. It has equally become evident that the whole sum expended is a waste considering the fact that load shedding is worsening by the day rather than improving. In fact, the Federal Government set up a generation target of 10,000 Mega Watts by the end of 2007, but could not achieve close to 30% of the target due to the endemic crisis in the sector. We make bold to say here that the quest of the country to become one of the best 20 economies in the world in the year 2020 will be a mirage if concrete steps are not taken to fix the energy sector. There is no gainsaying the fact that all sectors of the nation’s economy require stable electricity to function at optimum capacity. Even the fastest growing sector of the Nigerian economy which is the telecommunications industry can still do better with the provision of a stable power supply. It is no news that Government is making move to promote small scale enterprises with the provision of N50 billion facility through its micro finance initiative. The money on its own cannot do any magic if electricity is in short supply to power whatever venture that would be put in place by those who will benefit from the facility. The Federal Government is therefore advised to take the problem of power supply more seriously as fixing that sector is the only panacea to the achievement of stable and sustainable growth and development required to place the country among the best twenty economies in the world in the next twelve years. The Federal Government is equally advised to provide positive and plausible enabling environment coupled with improved infrastructural facilities to propel the economy to the required height. We earnestly advise that the proposed increase in electricity tariff should be shelved for now because of its negative economic consequences more so when the tariff being paid by consumers presently cannot be justified in view of the current widespread power outages in the country. We pray that in terms of energy crisis in the country, this will not be another wasted Presidential tenure that will make us sink further into the abyss of being a “generator generation”.

INSECURITY IN THE LAND

It is no more in dispute that there is unprecedented rate of insecurity now in the land occasioned by deluge of robbery cases  This development appears to have become the normal way of life. No doubt, there is now terrible fear in the land as homes, business premises, markets and even schools are raided with impunity by robbers for hours in broad day light with little or no resistance. There have been allegations of increasing involvement of security personnel in some of the robberies.

Essentially it is because of the strategic role of security in national development that the 1999 Constitution in chapter II under the Fundamental Objectives and Directives Principles of State Policy provide in Section 14(2)(b) that:-

“the security and welfare of the people shall       be the primary purpose of government”.

In fact the President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has taken this constitutional provision so seriously that he made it one of his 7-point Agenda. He said on security.

“it is a national infrastructure to be designed and funded so that it assists in the building of the nation. It will be handled in the manner the energy sector is tackled.”

Emphasizing the importance of security, the National Security Adviser, Major-General Abdullahi Sarki Muktar (Rtd) during the Presidential retreat for Ministers, Advisers and Federal Permanent Secretaries said:-

“the purpose of national security is to safeguard national values and the most fundamental values of any nation include survival, self-preservation, and self perpetuation. Consequently, the national security goal of any nation is to be free from external aggression and internal upheavals. The security of a nation including its citizens against all breaches of security both internal and external is the paramount concern of all responsible governments”.

The enormity of this problem can best be appreciated if one recalls the statement credited to the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Charles Soludo on this issue to the effect that the on-going efforts to reposition the economy based on Vision 2020 could be jeopardized if this poor security system persists.

There appears to be a consensus that the rampant robbery cases and general insecurity arose as a result of mass unemployment, marginalization of the masses of this country, primitive acquisition and accumulation of wealth by the ruling class and gross insensitivity of the political class to the plight of the people. Millions of our youths that are turned out from high schools, colleges and universities yearly end up still applying for jobs ten years after graduation. It is not impossible that some of these youths now introduce the sophisticated robberies that we now experience since they cannot find meaningful employment.

We have now created a system where the poor man does not sleep because he is hungry and the rich man does not sleep because the poor man is awake. The elite should realize that irrespective of the high level of security arrangement in their homes, both the rich and the poor still share the same roads, and highways, churches and mosques, super and local markets, etc.

It is therefore imperative that both the Federal, State and Local Governments should give room for fundamental changes in policies to more humane micro-economic cum social development framework that is directed to job-led economic growth. An employment plan should be drawn up at all the tiers of government. Without such a framework and as wealth continues to concentrate and rotate in few peoples’ hands, persistent sharp and profound inequality would have dire consequences on human development, economic growth and social stability in Nigeria.

SALARY AND ALLOWANCES IN THE CIVIL SERVICE

The last Administration was convinced that the poor pay structure in the civil service could no longer be defended and felt that the issue should be addressed. The Government consequently set up two Committees. First, the Wages, Salaries and Emoluments Relativity Panel was set up in June, 2004 to address the problem of growing disparity in Salaries and Wages payable for work of substantially equal value within the Public Service, as well as between the Public and Private Sectors with a view to advising government on Pay Relativities in the Public and Private Sectors and how best to address the noticeable distortions. The Panel was headed by Prof. E. C. Edozien, OFR.

The second Committee was the Presidential Committee on the Consolidation of Emoluments in the Public Sector which was inaugurated by the President on 1^st November, 2005. It was headed by Chief Earnest O. A. Shonekan, GCFR, CBE. Some important recommendations made by the Committees and Government reactions are:-

i)                   Although the Shonekan Committee recommended an immediate increase of 25% and an annual increase of 10% plus cost of living adjustment over a period of 10 years, subject to ability to pay, the Government accepted only 15% pay rise with effect from 1^st January, 2007. It was silent on the annual increase on the ground that 10% annual increment in 2007, 2008 and 2009 will be that pay roll will account for 35%, 45% and 55% of revenue in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively. Government directed that a comprehensive Public Sector Reform be completed before the implementation of any significant wage increases that would make public sector pay competitive and also that subsequent increases should be tied to the reforms.

ii)                 With reference to the issue of averting the falling real wage, Edozien Panel recommended that workers pay should be indexed to inflation and reviewed every two years. Government rejected this recommendation on the ground that the volatility in the rate of inflation makes it not advisable to index workers pay to inflation as this may be unsustainable. Government added that there should be periodic reviews through surveys or collective bargaining.

iii)               Government also accepted the Edozien Panel recommendation that the relatively low share of Basic Salary in total emolument should be addressed and moved up towards the international minimum of 90% but left the issue to the Consolidation of Emoluments Panel to address. This is a development that means nothing at the end of the day.

iv)               Shonekan Committee Recommendation was accepted in respect of Personal Income Tax. The Committee had anticipated that the Personal income Tax (Amendment) Bill before the National Assembly was likely to result in higher taxes for civil servants thus reducing the benefits of the proposed consolidated pay. In order to avoid such unintended consequences, it recommended and Government accepted that:-

                                                              i.      A hybrid of an expansion of tax band, introduction of threshold tax and a minimum tax should be adopted.

                                                            ii.      Partial Consolidation of emoluments should be considered; and

                                                          iii.      Gratuities and mandatory payroll deductions such as NHIS, and NHF should be made tax exempt.

What are we seeing?  

It appears that Government is again confused. Apart from the fact that the 15% pay rise is grossly inadequate and is so poorly implemented, workers are now far worse off than pre-consolidation era. Juxtaposing the accepted recommendations with the reasons given for rejecting some of the important recommendations, it is clear that all the Government succeeded in doing was to approbate and reprobate. More significantly is the fact that there is wailing in the land as the tax being paid has removed far more than the 15% increase from workers salaries. The National Assembly has refused to pass the law amending the tax laws so as to make the consolidation exercise beneficial to the workers as had originally been intended but since Government is benefiting from the unexpected high tax regime, it is looking the other way. It has now turned out to be a mirage of hope and things have never been so bad. We call on all the unions in the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council to take note and consider this development and commence actions that will save the civil servants from this avoidable disaster of monumental proportion.

THE PERMANENT SECRETARIES CADRE

IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE

Distinguished guests, Fellow Comrades, Section 318 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, defines the civil service as the “Service of the Government in a civil capacity as staff of the office of the President, the Vice President/Governor, Deputy Governor or a Ministry or department of the Government of the Federation/State assigned with the responsibility for any business of the government of the Federation/State”. The Civil Service is the main instrument through which the Government carries out its business. Civil Servants are insulated from partisan politics and are expected to render loyal service and professional advice to the Government of the day. They are also expected to enjoy security of tenure. To be able to perform its functions efficiently and effectively, it is important that the role of the civil service is maintained and jealously guarded in line with the nation’s philosophy, goals and objectives. As a result of its crucial position, the civil service is always ready to act as a role model for hard-work, efficiency, patriotism, and honesty.

In performing its functions a lot of obstacles have deliberately been put in the way of civil servants by top political office holders in government. In carrying out their duties, these political office holders pay no regard to the rules, regulations and procedures which eventually result in arbitrary decisions and general loss of direction. For example, the Permanent Secretary is normally a career officer and should ordinarily be appointed from amongst the senior officers in the civil service. The appointment in principle should be made by the Head of Government on the advice of the head of the Civil Service in Consultation with the Secretary to the Government and the Civil Service Commission.

When the monetization issue arose, many political office holders erroneously grouped the Permanent Secretaries along with the political appointees so as to deny them their hard earned benefits. In terms of appointment, some States went outside the core civil service to recruit non-career officers and imposed them on the system without any justifiable reason. Some negative implications of these twin actions include but not limited to the following:-

·        the politicization of the civil service at the top echelon;

·        low morale and frustration of serving officers;

·        disregard for financial accountability and probity;

·        general loss of direction as a result of the inability of the new entrants at the top level to imbibe the rules and regulations of the service.

These negative fallouts, no doubt, will not do the service any good. Any person who wants to be a Permanent Secretary must join the core civil service, queue up, and pass through the civil service mill so that we can continue to have a round peg in a round hole. More importantly, the Permanent Secretary cadre must be treated with decorum, respect and should be highly motivated at all times.

FEDERAL UNITY COLLEGES (FUCs)

It has been harvest of reversals of government policies. Yes, policy reversal is good if it serves the interest of the public. One of such recent policy reversal which has been done in the interest of the public is the one affecting the Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs) nation-wide. In reversing this policy, the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) in a press Statement said:-

“The Unity Schools Trust Public Private Partnership (UST-PPP) Model proposed for repositioning the FUCs by the immediate past leadership of the FME had many flaws and shortcomings that justified its wide and vehement opposition by many stakeholders”

Our Union opposed the UST-PPP arrangement of the last Administration for so many reasons which include but not limited to the following:-

·        The schools were to be auctioned to some selected private individuals and cronies of those in power in which case the Federal Government would have lost ownership and control entirely. In effect the purpose of establishing the schools which include advancing the cause of national unity and integration, promoting academic excellence in secondary schools and serving as a model for States and other school proprietors would have been lost to greed, selfishness and shortsightedness of the last Administration.

·        The UST-PPP advocated as a structure to manage the colleges was too intricate, cumbersome and open-ended.

·        50% of the FUC was to be given away to a body known as Pro-Unitate, an outfit with no record of experience anywhere in school management. To us it was similar to pentascope introduced by the last Administration to manage NITEL/MTEL and eventually destroyed NITEL which was hitherto a very viable institution thereby throwing several thousands of workers into the unemployment market.

·        The selection criteria of Chairmen and members of Governing Boards of the FUCs were not transparent and those appointed were not personalities with integrity, experience, professionalism and competence required to run let alone turn the Colleges around.

·        The inability to classify the workers in the Colleges, who initially, were recruited as civil servants but who would lose their identities after they had been brought under SMO’s.

·        A proposal that the SMO’s were to charge a fee of N5 million per school which contradicts the non-profit concept, etc.

The present leadership in the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) agrees with us that the FUCs have been leading lights and reference points of academic excellence in secondary education in Nigeria and that it is an indisputable fact that the FUCs remain the predominant avenue and perhaps the only opportunity of access to affordable quality education in Nigeria. Furthermore, in some communities, the FUCs are the only visible evidence of Federal presence that give the people a sense of national belonging. Moreover, it is not in dispute that since inception, these Colleges have served as a ligament that have enabled Nigerian children and youths of different tribes, ethnicity, religion and language to live and study together in the same environment while their teachers have promoted cross cultural unity through intertribal marriages etc.

We congratulate the Minister of Education for being bold and forthright to rescue the FUCs from the hands of the cabal of the last Administration. In repositioning the Colleges we are reliably informed that the FME is working out another variant of PPP model to replace the erstwhile Unity Schools Trust/Schools Management Organization with School Based Management Committee (SBMC). In doing so, we expect the leadership of the FME to have at the back of its mind that the Union will no longer encourage its members in the Colleges to be members of the Parents/Teachers Association (PTA). Rather all parents should form their own organization including Teachers/Workers whose children and Wards are in the Colleges while all workers in the Colleges will form workers organization under the auspices of this Association. In effect representatives in the School Based Management Committee (SBMC) by the workers will be under the auspices of this Association. Furthermore, education officers and other workers in the Colleges are first and foremost civil servants whose terms and conditions of service remain inviolable as they are being guided by the Public Service Rules (PSR), Financial Regulations  (FR) and relevant government Circulars.

In all, the Union will cooperate with the Present Administration to ensure that the FUCs continue to promote national unity, and remain a bastion of academic excellence and models of qualitative secondary education.        

TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT

Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Guests, we wish to commend the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Umar Musa Yar’Adua for returning the extra N1 billion to the treasury representing the unspent security vote allocated to Mr. President’s office in 2007. In addition, President Umar Yar’Adua has become the first President in Nigeria to publicly declare his assets. We commend the President for this exemplary leadership quality which goes a long way to show that there will surely be light at the end of the tunnel. While commending these positive and modest innovations, we wish to state that more still need to be done in the area of combating corrupt practices in the country’s social, economic and political life.  The level of corruption in the country is still very high and this is stalling developmental efforts aimed at bringing democracy dividends to the people.

According to the United States Human Rights Report in 2007 published in the Punch Newspaper of 13^th March, 2008, corruption was massive, wide-spread and pervasive at all levels of government and society in 2007 in the face of constitutional provision of immunity from Civil and criminal prosecution for the President, Vice President, Governors and their Deputies.

The Federal, State and Local Governments are therefore advised to confront the menace of corruption headlong as it remains the most potent obstacle standing in the country’s path to meaningful development.

On this issue of graft in high places and the society we wish to invite attention to the statement credited to Major-General Adeyinka Adebayo (Rtd) in the Punch Newspaper of 9^th March, 2008 where he said:-

“…People in government are loading their pockets.  Because of the situation in the country that some people are shouting that the present government is too expensive, the military can take over any day.  They are keeping their banks outside Nigeria.  During our time, we took thousands, during Babangida’s time it was billions; now it is trillion.”

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for your attention.