By TINA TIMOTHY

Following the recent reversal of all command promotions in Abia State by Governor Alex Otti, Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) Nigeria has said that while a “state governor is the “chief employer” of all state workers and has the exclusive powers to appoint certain officials”, such appointments, rather than being politically motivated, should encourage commitment, dedication and hard work.

In a statement on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, FENRAD lamented that former Abia State governors “have had to abuse the privilege of command promotion” and therefore urged Otti to ensure transparency while reviewing command promotions made by former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

The statement reads: ”The news about the reverse of all command promotions in Abia State civil service since 2015 by Gov. Alex Otti recently has come to the knowledge of Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development, FENRAD, a pro-democracy and environmental rights advocacy group based in Abia State.

“While it is clear that the governor of the state is the “chief employer” of all state workers (state civil service) and has the exclusive powers to appoint certain officials thereto, the Foundation does not think that there is any need to go against accepted general convention, especially in a way that may jeopardize hard work. This concern stems from developments following the reverse of command promotions in the state recently.

“As a group that is governed by transparency and accountability, the Foundation regrets that since 1999, when Nigeria returned to democracy, former governors in Abia State have had to abuse the privilege of command promotion which aims to encourage hard work and ensure recognition of staff members of the service who put in their very best in service to state.

“As against the rule, many individuals had been promoted to the position of a director or a similar rank in the service without facing Departmental Board Selection because the governor so wished. The Foundation is aware that this has become the unwritten norm since 1999, where persons employed in the state service became directors only after 8 or 10 years of service!

“For emphasis, let it be stated that the governor of any state has and retains the powers to order the automatic promotion of workers who showed themselves to be hardworking and industrious in service, to encourage commitment, dedication and hard work. But a situation where this is done out of political motivation, as has been witnessed in Abia State, is a no-no. This is the reason why the Foundation frowned upon the December 2023 recruitments carried out by the then state government when elections were around the corner.

“The recent reverse of command promotions made by former Governor Okezie ikpeazu must be reviewed in terms of its merit or otherwise, not as a political vendetta. Already, there are groups challenging this initiative as being directed against and at a particular demography.

“While this allegation should enable the state government to show cause that the exercise was not done in bad faith, much is left to be desired. The questions now are: have past administrations carried out this exercise hitherto, and if so, why is that of 2015 to 2023 only being reversed? Has the present administration under Gov. Alex Otti carried out promotion of workers without recourse to ranks, and if so, who benefited from such exercise? Are all those promoted by the past administration on the basis of command by the state governor all illegitimate to the extent that available record shows that such exercise was carried out in bad faith?

“While the Foundation does not wish to go with the “Ethnic Cleansing” narrative of some groups, as such may require studious and tedious academic exercise to prove, it remains interested in knowing what led to this policy. And it is for this reason that the Foundation asks: were all those promoted instantly unqualified to ascend to the levels they enjoyed until this reversal? Did their promotion breach command promotion wherein cronies within a section of the state got promotion to the detriment of hard-working staff members from other areas?”

As several questions are calling for answers, the group consequently called on Otti to, without prejudice to any political base, bloc or demography, “explain the reason(s) behind its latest policy directive to Abians as this is capable of breeding sectionalism and fanning embers of division, if not timeoulsy addressed,” adding “that only hardworking and industrious workers in the Abia cadre benefit from command promotion going further.”

The statement continues: ”While this is a sensitive matter, the Foundation would love to see the state government under Gov. Alex Otti explain the reason(s) behind its latest policy directive to Abians as this is capable of breeding sectionalism and fanning embers of division, if not timeously addressed. The Foundation raises the above concerns because the issue of relieving workers employed by the previous administration trailed the government of Gov. Alex Chioma Otti sometime last year. And while it has to be understood that no government desirous of success should lift the employment embargo when it is lame duck, absorption into the state service cadre should not be for purely political or sectional consideration.

“There is need to be above board because currently, Abia has 50% of unemployment, worrisome trend.

“The Foundation urges the governor to, in the spirit of fairness and inclusion, carry Abians along, his real employers, why this exercise is suitable at a time like this, and without prejudice to any political base, bloc or demography.

“Lastly, the Foundation urges the governor to ensure that only hardworking and industrious workers in the Abia cadre benefit from command promotion going further,” FENRAD added.

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