By Abdul Jelil Adebayo
It is historic, epochal and monumental. Anyway you want to describe it, it is nothing short of history making.
The establishment of the Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission has come to stay and the over 38, 000 staff of the ministry have every reason to jubilate and this they did when the FCT minister Nyesom Wike announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has finally approved the take off of the Commission.
The journey has not been easy but it was worth the wait.
The Commission is known as Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission (Establishment) Act, 2018.
The summary of the contents of the Act is the establishment of the Commission charged with the responsibility for appointment, promotion, discipline and transfer of civil servants within the Civil Service of the FCT, Abuja.
The House of Representatives passed the Bill on June 1st, 2016 but it took the Senate almost two years after, on May 3rd 2018 to passed the Bill in the Red chamber.
It took another two months to get a clean copy of the approval by the two Chambers of the National Assembly to be forwarded to the President of the Federal Republic on July 18th, 2018.
Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who was the Acting President then on August 17th, 2018 signed the Bill making it an Act of parliament, a law.
Even with the signing by Mr President, it was not yet Uhuru. The implementation became a challenge as there was no political will and subterranean ploy to keep the law in abeyance.
The implementation of the law means an end to posting of Permanent Secretaries from the nation’s Head of Service to FCTA.
Certainly it wasn’t a welcome development by the Federal Civil Service as struggling to get FCT Permanent Secretaryship has come to an end.
By the law, progression of staff of FCTA will no longer terminate at the directorate level.
Hitherto, no matter your pedigree, every staff of the ministry cannot exceed the position of a director while Permanent Secretaries are posted from outside the fold.
But with the new law, anyone in the employ of the FCTA can reach his or her peak in the service by becoming a Permanent Secretary.
It was fought both from within and without, but what will be can only be delayed and at the appropriate time what will be will be.
So when Wike took the gauntlet in 2024, there was jubilation and appreciation to the pragmatic Minister who destiny is shining on as what many hitherto Ministers before him couldn’t achieve, he is doing them with ease .
Abuja is working and the restless unemployed youths are scattered in every nook and cranny of Abuja in gainful employment.
Even his ‘enemies’ agreed that Wike is working, but been human, he is yet to release overhead, which is impacting a minus to his laudable strides in FCT.
Back to the issue at hand, the Commission has a chairman and six other members representing each of the geo political zones.
President Bola Tinubu approved the appointment of Engr. Emeka Ezeh as the pioneer chairman of the newly created Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Civil Service Commission.
The appointments were sequel to their nominations by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, via a letter dated March 11, 2024.
Ezeh will chair a seven-member FCT Civil Service Commission with pioneer six Commissioners.
The commissioners are Hon. Ahmed Mohammed (North-West), Chief Anthony Okeah (South-South), Mohammed Magaji Ibrahim (North-East), Miskoom Alexander Naantuam (North-Central), Hon. Jide Jimoh (South-West), and Barr. Martin Azubike (South-East).
While the chairman shall be the Chief executive officer, the secretary to the Commission shall be responsible for the execution of the policy and day to day administration of the Commission.
The secretary, Umar Sanda Kuso, shall hold office for a term of five years in the first instance and may be re-appointed for another term of five years and no more.
The secretary shall be a senior officer of the Commission not below the rank of a director in the Civil Service of the FCT and shall be the Chief Accounting Officer.
Membership of the Commission shall be retired public servants of the Federation, not below grade level 16 and must be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the FCT minister.
No member of the Commission is expected to hold office in any political party or political organisation.
No member of the Commission, within the proceeding 10 years has been sacked from office or disqualified by his professional from practising by an order of a competent authority.
The chairman and members of the commission shall hold office for a term of four years in the first instance and may be reappointed for another term of four years and no more.
The quorum for a meeting of the members of the Commission shall be at least three members including the chairman or the person presiding at the meeting
However, the remuneration and conditions of service of the chairman and members of the Commission shall be determined by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
The Commission shall prescribe the guidelines and procedures for recruitment, appointment, promotion and transfer within the Civil Service of the FCT. It may publish and advertise any vacancy in the Civil Service of the FCT.
The Commission shall have power to appoint such member of staff and other employees as it may seem necessary to assist the commission in the discharge of any of its duty.
The code of conduct for the staff of FCTA shall consist of principles for the guidance, regulation and governance of the FCT civil service staff and employees and shall be binding on any department, staff, or employee of the FCT in so far as they apply to that unit, department, staff or employee.
However, the Commission shall not discriminate against any person by reason of national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, marital status, family status, disability under any circumstance.
The Commission has come to stay and the FCTA staff are more than happy, all thanks to the boldness of a workaholic and amiable minister Wike.
*Abdul is an Abuja based journalist on abduljelil2001@gmail.com