The Niger State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said many of the civil servants forcefully retired over age falsification or forgery were on the payroll of the state as at May 2021.
During a press conference on Wednesday, the state civil service commission said 374 civil servants had been sacked while another 380 were forcefully retired for violating the extant rules and involvement in fraudulent acts of alteration of date of birth and first appointment.
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But in its reaction, the NLC Chairman in the state, Comrade Yakubu Garba, noted that the civil service commission on its part conducted investigation and believed the civil servants erred but processes leading to their retirement have not been concluded.
“For the 328 dismissed for possession and presentation of fake academic certificates, the process leading to such started with Panti committee on screening and verification of civil servants which awarding institution also confirmed. In such instance NLC is handicapped as cannot dablle into issue relating to clear violation of extant laws except when affected persons have contrary and valid claims.
“On the case of the 46 personnel dismissed for violating extant civil service rules, the decision predates the current administration as it started since the era of Governor Muazu Aliyu.”
Garba, however, said the dismissal of the affected civil servants does not in any way amount to rightsizing, downsizing or retrenchment in guise of rationalization as being insinuated.
“It is a routine exercise which civil service is statutorily empowered to conduct. However, content of the press release crediting to the chairman of civil service commission is misleading and not entirely correct,” he said.
He, however, called on the civil servants affected by the decision and have contrary and valid claims to approach the state chapter of the NLC through their respective unions for redress.
