Religion

Eid-el-Kabir: Oyo Govt. Subsidize Commodities for Civil Servants

By Web News 119

By Iyabo Adebisi

Two thousand and Five Hundred Civil Servants in the Oyo state payroll are to benefit from the ongoing festive commodity advances to civil servants ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

The commodities were ram, rice and groundnut oil. 

The Chairman Agricultural Credit Corporation of Oyo state, Sheihk Taofeek Akeugbagold, stated this while speaking with journalists at the distribution of rams to Muslim civil servants who had applied for the items at Ikolaba, Ibadan.

He explained that the Oyo state government designed the programme to bring succour to civil servants in view of the economic realities in the country. 

Sheikh Akeugbagold, while noting that the programme would be sustained by the Governor Seyi Makinde-led government, stated that the subsidised items would be deducted in three instalments beginning from the month of August, 2025.

Sheikh Akeugbagold, therefore, appealed to the beneficiaries to pay promptly so as to give another set of people the opportunity to benefit from the government’s efforts aimed at easing the people’s burden. 

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to Radio Nigeria lauded the government’s gesture, describing it as a wise decision.

The distribution of the Eid-el-Kabir commodities was extended to Wednesday, the 4th of June, 2025.

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News

Abiodun Approves 2023/2024 Promotion Exercises for Eligible Workers

By Web News 311

By Abimbola Bamgbose

The Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has granted approval for the 2023 and 2024 promotion exercises for eligible civil and public servants in the state.

A total of 26,764 personnel from junior, senior, and management cadres across the state’s Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs, are expected to benefit from the promotion process, which will be conducted exclusively through oral interviews.

In a statement issued by the State Head of Service, Mr Kehinde Onasanya, the promotion exercise encompasses various categories of civil and public servants, including employees within the core civil service, teaching and non-teaching staff of government secondary schools, primary school teachers, and staff of state-owned boards, corporations, and agencies, such as the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, OOUTH. The exercise also includes provisions for upgrades and transfers.

Additionally, the Governor has approved the December 2024 combined confirmation tests and compulsory public service examinations for officers in junior and senior cadres. These assessments, organized by the Bureau of Establishments and Training under the Office of the Head of Service, aim to facilitate the career progression of eligible officers.

Expressing gratitude to the Governor for his worker-friendly initiatives, Mr Onasanya commended Prince Abiodun’s commitment to enhancing the welfare and professional growth of the state’s workforce. He called on civil and public servants to remain dedicated to their duties in reciprocation of the Governor’s support.

Labour

Sanwo-Olu Slashes Work Days to 3 for Civil Servants

By Web News 355

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has announced that civil servants from levels 1–14 will begin to work three days a week as part of measures to ease the economic challenges facing residents.

Sanwo-Olu made this announcement during a live media chat, tagged, ‘Sanwo Speaks’ in Lagos on Thursday.

The governor, however, said workers in the teaching sector will maintain the five-day-a-week work schedule, adding that the government will ensure additional transport support for them.

He said, “We want to start with our public servants, immediately from next week, Civil servants from the lower level will be working like three times a week and level 15-17 can work four times in a week.”

On the rising cost of food, he added that his administration would open more markets where Lagosians can buy food items at discounted rates.

He said, “We will open Sunday Markets in at least 42 identified markets across Lagos State. You will be able to buy food items at a discounted price. You will only be able to buy items worth up to N25,000.”

Sanwo-Olu added that the 25% reduction on transport services will start this weekend for the State Public Transport system (BRT, Train, Ferry).

The governor noted that his administration was also in discussions with various transport unions to reduce their fares.

“First is to express empathy with our citizens, We are not unmindful of the situation, as leaders, we must be able to solve socioeconomic problems,” he said.

Governor Sanwo-Olu also challenged the private sector to look into what they can do for the citizens by replicating their role during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vanguard/Simeon Ugbodovon

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Labour

Civil Servants Protest Failed Housing Scheme

By Web News 533

Subscribers to the NLC/TUC Good Homes scheme have appealed to authorities concerned to allocate land for them to address their housing challenges.

They made the appeal when they took peaceful protests to the minister of the FCT, Mallam Mohammed Bello and the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC headquarters in Abuja.

This follows other protests by the group, staged at the FCDA secretariat which did not receive attention.

This time, the aggrieved subscribers took their protest to the residence of the minister of the FCT in an attempt to get his attention by all means.

According to the Chairman of the Housing Scheme Subscribers Association, Chief Emeka Ananu, who led the chanting members, after about ten years of committing resources to the housing project, neither houses nor lands have been allocated to them.

Chief Ananu claimed that over one billion naira had been committed to the housing scheme by some civil servants without them getting houses or lands as expected.

The scheme was inaugurated in 2014 with the aim of making civil servants own their houses in Lafiya, Apo area of the FCT.

The subscribers displayed placards bearing various inscriptions during the protest, demanding justice.

Some of them claimed they have been servicing the loans they obtained to key onto the housing scheme without any respite, a situation they decried was affecting their economic, healthy and social well-being.

They said some of their members have died during the struggle while others have retired after attaining sixty years or 35 years in service without houses of their own.

No one came to address the protesters at both place of protest.

At the minister’s residence, they were confronted by some security personnel attached to the minister.

At the Labour House, the protesters sang solidarity songs, displayed their placards, and called on the NLC leadership to come and address them but to no avail.

They left both places with a promise to return at a later date until their demand for getting their houses or lands is met.

Tersoo Zamber

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Tourism

Oyo Govt Solicits Civil Servants’ Assistance in Promoting Tourism

By Web News 451

 …Urges them to visit Tourist Sites

Oyo State Government has held an interactive session with top civil servants in the State on tourism values, urging them to promote the over 450 tourist centres across the State.

The Chairman, Oyo State Tourism Board, Elder Debo Adejumobi, made the appeal during a one-day interactive session on the domestic tourism awareness campaign in Ibadan.

During the campaign tagged, “Know your State, Enjoy Your State, and Promote Your State” Adeyanju said it is pertinent for civil servants to be aware of Domestic Tourist sites in the State.

Adeyanju said for Tourism to develop in the state, there is a need for various stakeholders, such as civil and public servants to spend time, often in their locality for leisure, short holiday or entertainment. 

“Oyo State is ably endowed with various unique tourism potentials scattered over its nooks and crannies. Despite the beautiful sites and monuments, most Civil/Public Servants remain unaware of most of the sites, their locations and also importantly their tourism values”, he posited.

He added, “the economic multiplier effect of tourism can create employment, empowerment and generate income, domestic tourism and equally increase the flow of visitors to local tourism attractions, boost trade and commerce, especially within the immediate locality of the site”. 

The Special Adviser, Tourism, Hon. Ademola Ige equally appealed to tourism operators and other stakeholders in the industry to key into the Oyo State Government’s policy to promote over four hundred and fifty tourist centres in the state.

Also speaking, the Head of Service, Mrs. Ololade Agboola urged civil servants to familiarise themselves with the tourism centres in the state to attract local and international tourists.

The Head of Service, who spoke through the Permanent Secretary, Service Matters, Mr. Babatunde Adeyanju called on relevant stakeholders in the public service to ensure patronage of tourist sites within their locality. 

Speaking also, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Oyedele Oyesola said the sensitisation programme was aimed at promoting Oyo state’s tourism. 

“We want top civil servants to know our tourist sites in Oyo state and also visit them”, he said.

Oyedele added, “we are embarking on a rigorous sensitization for our people on reasons to relax”.

Oluwakayode Banjo

Lifestyle

Oyo Govt. Approves Conversion of 730 Civil, Public Servants

By Web News 623

The Oyo State Government has approved the conversion of 730 Civil Public Servants in the state.

In a release signed by the Chairman, Civil Service Commission, Oyo State, Alhaji Kamoru Adéríbigbé, the conversion process which cuts across ninety-two, 92, cadres, is the first of its kind in the history of the Civil Service Commission in Oyo state.

Earlier, the Civil Service Commission screened officers, through weeding tests for some and oral interviews across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state.

“As usual, the conversion was in line with the template of merit and competence introduced by His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde FNSE, and considering the existing vacancy disposition for each of the cadres”, Alhaji Aderibigbe said.

Among the various cadres of the converted officers are the Administrative Officers, Accountants, Registrars of Cooperatives, Executive Officers, Nursing Officers, Agricultural Officers, Trade Officers, Statisticians, Engineers, Veterinary Officers, Geologists, Program Analysts, Scientific Officers, Social Welfare Officers, Store Officers, Land Officers, among others.

The Chairman described the conversion as the Governor’s third anniversary gift to beneficiaries and admonished them to reciprocate the kind gesture of the government of Oyo state by discharging their duties diligently.

According to the Chairman, “this exercise can be likened to new recruitments that would not only enhance the status of the officers, but also elongate the terminal levels of some of the beneficiaries beyond their present respective grade levels”.

Alhaji Aderibigbe, therefore thanked Governor Seyi Makinde for putting smiles on the faces of workers, pensioners and the entire people of Oyo State.

PR/Olukayode Banjo

Lifestyle

Civil Servants Resume in Sango-Ota

By Web News 581

It’s the first official working day of the year. 

  Many civil servants and private employees in the Sango/Ota area of the state woke up very early in their homes to prepare for the first official resumption of the year.

 Hustling and bustling commercial activities and influx of people on the roads was high compared to how it was during the holiday.

Cleaners were seen tidying up the office environment while workers at the local government secretariat exchanged new year pleasantries as they thank God for the grace to see another year.

Radio Nigeria correspondent spoke with some workers in the New Year.

The workers who showed their readiness to carry their duties diligently this year also urged the government both state and federal levels to see the welfare of workers as an important project and find solutions to the issue of price inflation ravaging the country as salaries are no longer enough to feed adequately.

Bimbo Bamgbose

Politics

OGSHA Concludes Screening Exercise of Civil Servants

By Web News 682

Ogun State House of Assembly has screened all the nominees for the statutory Commissions including the State Civil Service, House of Assembly Service, Local Government Service and Teaching Service Commissions, as well as the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

The Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Olakunle Oluomo, who presided over the screening at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, charged the nominees at ensuring continuous human capacity for the workers with new idea and values towards upholding the ethics and good conduct  in the delivery of good governance.

The Speaker added that the screening became imperative  to ensure that all the nominees were of proven integrity and their composition were in line with the principles of Federal Character, while allowing for fair representations of all parts of the State in the appointments .

Other lawmakers in their  submissions tasked the nominees to upon their confirmation,promote service delivery in the discharge of their duties, while sustaining the existing synergy between the executive and legislative arms through robust relationships to ensure even spread of developmental projects across the State. 

Speaking on behalf of the nominees, the Chairmen designate for the statutory Commissions including the  Civil Service Commission,Mr Tokunbo Odebunmi, his Local Government Service  counterpart, Barrister Bukola Onabanjo, SUBEB, Dr. Femi Majekodunmi, House of Assembly Service, Mr Waliu Taiwo and TESCOM, Evangelist,Joshua Ifede, assured the lawmakers that they would raise the bar of performance by bringing their wealth of experience to bear in all their various Commissions.

Oluwatoyin Adegoke

News Analysis

Need for Civil Servants to Plan ahead of Retirement

By Web News 690

Anything that has a beginning must have an end, just like there is time to be born and time to die.

For anyone in the Civil Service, the countdown begins once an employment letter is given and after spending approved years of service, disengagement letter is given and the agile workers turn to retirees, who have transformed from the young, vibrant and energetic individuals they were at the point of entry to old, wrinkled, weak, and perhaps, tired people at the point of their exit as public servants.

It is a must for civil servants to vacate their cherished and highly coveted offices for another phase of life outside the comfort zone of work either in the public or private sector.

Unfortunately, the world outside is sometimes frustrating, harsh, and uncertain for many retirees who are now forced to be on their own.

The experience can be hell on earth if one is not careful as monthly salaries, running cost, travel and duty tour allowances, access to banks and cooperative loans with salaries as collateral are no longer available.

 Worse still is the delay in the payment of gratuities, and if paid eventually at all, it is grossly inadequate to cater for bills, rents, feeding and other sundry expenses.                                                                                                      

This had cut short the life span of many retirees due to heavy burden and challenges of day-to-day living, though few retirees are lucky to maintain their status in retirement as a result of financial background.                                                    

But despite all these scary but realities of life, there is still hope.

To ensure graceful retirement, civil servants while in service should be disciplined, courageous, determined and prayerful even before their exit from service.                                                                                         

 The slogan of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, which is ‘rest is sweet after labour’, is very instructive. If you must have sweet rest after labour, start planning ahead of retirement.                              

This can be done by setting aside certain amount of money from your monthly salary, no matter how meagre for saving every month and this demands discipline and self-denial.

All legitimate income must be judiciously utilized, especially in the area of shelter.

Utilizing credit facilities while still in service can assist to make retirement comfortable and less painful.

Also, civil servants should invest more in getting good education for their children, who are expected to take care of their parents after retirement.

 Government must be transparent in the remittance of monthly pension of civil servants to their retirement savings account.

Above all, payment of gratuities and pensions must be paid immediately after disengagement.

Tayo Sanni