Benue State governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has explained that his administration resolved to cancel the employment of over 12,000 civil servants recruited by the administration Samuel Ortom, and also reversed all promotions to the rank of Permanent Secretary because the exercise did not follow due process, adding that it was also characterized by irregularities and lopsidedness.
The governor, who made the clarification on Monday during his Democracy Day broadcast to residents of the State, insisted that the last administration failed to take cognizance of the State Character Principle during the processes, assuring that his administration is out to right perceived wrongs and not on a witch-hunt mission.
The government had, in a recent press statement, cancelled all employments made by the last administration from May 2022 and also nullified all promotions to the rank of Permanent Secretary effected by that administration from January 2023.
Governor Alia, during his broadcast, said that it is important to brief the people of on some of the key decisions his administration took in the last two weeks.
He said: “On the issue of recruitments/appointments, we noted that it was full of irregularities. Specifically; the Civil Service Secretariat through the out-gone administration recruited 2,194 persons. The State Universal Basic Education, SUBEB, employed 3,028 against the approved number of 2,500 only; while Replacements made were over 5,000. Teaching Service Board, TSB, employed 2,500 that is, for Grant-in-Aid Schools, four in number, 120 Teachers. Replacements were 2,484. In the entire exercise, due process was not adopted.
“In addition, the employment was lopsided in favour of few local government areas, and did not take the principle of State character into consideration; also, no budgetary provision was made to cater for the recruitments just as there was no advertisement in any media as required by the provisions of the rules guiding the Service on the matter; and no Interviews were conducted to determine suitability or otherwise of candidates. Above all, the Solicitor-General of the State was not involved at any stage of the recruitment process.
“Also the appointment of persons to the post of Permanent Secretaries from January, 2023 to May, 2023 was reversed because the appointments were politically motivated, the due process required was not observed.
“The eventual postings of the appointed Permanent Secretaries were mainly for cover up. In making the appointments, the State Character Principle was not observed.