S’West Heads of Service warn against politicisation of permanent secretaries

S’West Heads of Service warn against politicisation of permanent secretaries

FORUM of Heads of Service, southwest Nigeria, has waned against the politicisation of the position of permanent secretaries and urges all the states of the federation to present position papers at the National Conference on the need to restrict the position to career civil servants.

  The body also pointed that only Independent Power Projects (IPP) from private sector can successfully correct the epileptic power supply being experiences in the country.

  The forum made the statement in a communiqué issued after its 5th Summit held in Ado Ekiti at the weekend and signed by Bunmi Famosaya, Sunday Owoeye, Mrs. Modupe Adekunle, Mrs. Josephine Williams, Tajudeen Aremu and Toyin Akinkuotu, the heads of service of Ekiti, Osun, Ogun, Lagos, Oyo and Ondo states respectively.

  The body described the position of permanent secretary as a sacred office and the engine room of the civil service that should not be politicised for better productivity and result-oriented service.

  “There is need for the states to present a position papers to the confab recommending salient indices to energise the civil service for higher productivity and better performance.   For instance, the restriction of the position of permanent secretary to career civil servants to facilitate synergy in policy implementation,” the communiqué said.

  The forum noted with regrets that the epileptic power supply being experiences in the country has been hindering industrial growth, saying the present the government must prosecute its IPP under the privatisation policy with zeal and vigour for the country to make a success of it.

  The body also suggested the need for non-politicisation of the service to entrench the culture of meritocracy and capacity building in the public service of the zone.

  The Heads of Service also appealed to the states and federal government to always appoint their retired members into strategic boards and commissions like the civil service, LocalGovernment Service Commission, among others.