Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Niger Affairs, Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi, has warned public officers on the consequences attached to illegal disclosure of official documents to contractors executing different projects on behalf of the ministry.

Adebiyi, who issued this warning, yesterday, in Abuja, at an event to commemorate the 2022 Nigeria Civil Service Day celebration and reward outstanding staff of the ministry, urged staff members not to allow contractors working for the ministry to use and dump them like spanners and screwdrivers.

The Permanent Secretary alleged that most staff members of the ministry were secretly taking and sending shot of confidential memos prepared by their directors to contractors, lamenting that the act was putting the lives of the principal officers in danger.

According to him, contractors, who discover that the ministry is about paying them less than what they were expecting, might send assassins after the director out of dissatisfaction.

He enjoined all members of staff to be serious and always dedicated to their official duties, so that they could benefit from available opportunities in the service.

“One of the things I would appeal to you on, is the issue of confidentiality of official documents. Contractors have come to me, telling me how much is in the budget and how much was released, how did they know?

“Most of these companies come into your office, smile with you and go away with every valuable documents that may send you to jail if you don’t know, but if you go to their own office, their security would send you back from the gate because the moment you leave that office, they delete your number, which shows how irrelevant you are to them. They use you and dump you after getting confidential information that would waste you after.

“Why do you allow contractors use you like spanners and screwdrivers to disclose official secret that has capacity to kill you? Some of you pick memos written by your directors, snap it and send it via WhatsApp to contractors to inform them that their money have been reduced.

“Unknown to you, the director’s life may be in danger because they could even send assassins after the director for the mistake you made. Just for recharge card or gift of phones, you put somebody’s life in danger. Don’t forget, if you want to rise you don’t bring down others because backbiters remain at the back,” he said.

Adebiyi promised to improve welfare and benefit packages for civil servants as well as design and implement an enterprise resource management system.

One of the award recipients, Ifeka Edith Chioma, an assistant director in procurement department, thanked the Permanent Secretary for the recognition and tasked her colleagues on the need to put the service first. (The Guardian)

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