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The House of Representatives has initiated an investigation into the stagnation of promotions within the Federal Civil Service from 2013 to 2023. This decision follows a motion by Rep. Salman Idris, the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Agric Colleges and Institutions in Abuja.
Idris emphasized that promotions are crucial for the progression and motivation of civil servants, which in turn boosts productivity. He expressed concern over the persistent stagnation in promotions across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the government. According to Idris, this issue has led to decreased service delivery, a decline in specialized skills, lower productivity and performance, employee unrest, corruption, and reduced morale.
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"The menace of promotion stagnation in the civil service calls for urgent attention and intervention of this hallowed chamber, if the policies and programmes of Government must be achieved," Idris stated.
Highlighting the importance of the civil service as the engine room of government, Idris called for comprehensive reforms to align with global best practices. He stressed the necessity of timely promotions and the corresponding recommendations, underscoring that some civil servants who eventually get promoted do so notionally rather than financially, despite provisions for such expenditures in the annual appropriations of MDAs.
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Idris pointed out that promotion stagnation adversely impacts the careers of officers, noting that every civil servant is expected to reach the pinnacle of their career within 35 years of service or by the retirement age of 60.
In response, the House has tasked the committee on public sector and institutional reforms with investigating promotion stagnation in the Federal Civil Service over the past decade. The committee is expected to report its findings within four weeks, aiming to strengthen the civil service during this critical stage of the nation's development.