ASSOCIATION OF SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS OF NIGERIA CONDEMN THE ILLEGAL EXTENSION OF THE TENURE OF THE HEAD OF SERVICE OF ONDO STATE
The Association of Senior civil servants of Nigeria, the union that constitutes council 1 of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) and a frontline affiliate of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), strongly condemn the illegal and unconstitutional elongation of the tenure of Mr. Dare Aragbaye as the head of service of ondo state for another one year by His Excellency, the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu (SAN) and calls for immediate reversal of the purported elongation.
The Civil Service is a creation of the law and all pensionable employment within the service are coated with statutory flavour. Under the public service rule and relevant extant circulars on retirement of civil servants,, the mandatory retirement age is 60 years of age or 35 years of service whichever comes first. No civil servant is permitted to stay beyond the retirement age under any guise. While the Governor is vested with the powers to appoint the Head of service and other Permanent Secretaries, the constitution equally provides that their appointment is not at the pleasure of the Governor. This implies that all actions and infractions within the civil service are strictly guided by set of rules and regulations that must be followed at all times.
We use this medium to call on our amiable Governor, a senior member in the temple of justice, to as a matter of urgency reverse this extension of tenure beyond retirement age within the next 14days because it is alien to the rules and regulations of the civil service and capable of setting a dangerous precedent and disharmony in the Ondo state civil service. Failure to reverse this illegal extension, the union will not hesitate to declare a trade dispute with the state government.
Ondo workers are enjoined to remain steadfast and in solidarity as the union will not rest on its oars in ensuring this issue is resolved and the sanctity of the civil service is upheld at all times.
SIGNED
EKUNDAYO SOLADOYE
SECRETARY.