Nigerian varsities need uniform scheme of service – HoS

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, has said Nigerian universities need a uniform scheme of service to boost service delivery, including stemming the crisis and frictions in the citadels of learning in the country.

She said this at the 1st workshop and 73rd business meeting of the Association of Registrars of Nigerian Universities (ARNU) held at the Federal University Lokoja.

In her paper titled: “Critical issues in Human Resources Management in the Nigerian University System: reconfiguring for excellence”, Dr Yemi-Esan said the fundamental role of public service was to serve the nation and the communities in a manner that would facilitate sustainable development.

She advised Registrars to apply their professional knowledge, expertise, skills and competencies in human resource management jobs to promote the development and rancour-free system in the universities.

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“You should be knowledgeable in the rules, regulations and procedures guiding all facets of staff administration such as recruitment, promotion, discipline, leave and pension administration.

These rules, regulations and procedures, according to her, “must be strictly adhered to by all stakeholders in order to entrench uniform standards,” adding that failure to do so will encourage demoralisation, discontentment, petitions writing, labour unrest, and confusion in the management of staff careers.

She stressed further that schemes of service can be prepared for different agencies/institutions of government, taking cognizance of their peculiarities.

In his remarks, the national chairman of ARNU, Mr Ife Oluwole, said the event aimed, among others, at collaborating and cross-fertilising ideas with one another to improve the efficiency of members to develop their various institutions.