The Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) Chairman, Professor Tunji Olaopa, has vowed to undertake a complete rebranding campaign to bring back the integrity and credibility of the civil service.
He said that the action is intended to solve the long-standing problems facing the civil service and open the door for a more effective and open system.
Professor Olaopa made this statement to the media yesterday in Abuja following his oath of office as FCSC chairman, which he took together with eleven other senior Commission members.
The Head of the FCSC emphasised the significance of fostering public trust and confidence in the civil service, noting that the sector has come under heavy fire over the years for corruption, inefficiency, and a lack of accountability.
He stated that reorganising the hiring and promotion procedures to place an emphasis on merit, competency, and openness is a component of the rebranding initiative.
According to him:
“We will begin rebranding from very small things to begin to change the face of the commission. I have zero tolerance for the cash and carry for which the commission has been branded all around, and we need to do something drastic about that.
“This place needs to be restored to the integrity of the service. So, that’s one thing that I would do very urgently. The second thing would be to look for basic rights. I look at our basic function and do a kind of impact assessment, determine some gaps, and begin to rethink the way we are doing recruitment, promotion, and discipline, which in essence encapsulates.
“Because the reason that promotion, discipline, and appointment is not working is because it’s not linked to the larger frame of human resource management. Can we bring more credibility to the promotion? Can we remove the sense that some people can come in and buy their promotion? Can the entire career begin to see that if you merit it, you can get it without necessarily knowing anybody?”
Dr. Yakubu Adam Kofarmata, the permanent secretary of the FCSC, expressed hope that the civil service commission will enter a new, prosperous chapter under the leadership of the new chairman.
“We expect the chairman and the commission to bring in new ideas in tandem with the renewed hope agenda of the present administration.
“We want to see a new invigorated Federal Civil Service Commission that, in essence, will give all the campaign promises and the goodies of democracy to Nigeria and Nigerians, and I think we have set it on a good note. I could see the zeal of the chairman and the new commissioners. Likewise, the directors,” he said.
cc: Vanguard Ng
