FCTA workers protest against deployment of new permanent secretary

The federal capital territory administration (FCTA) workers under the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) have kicked against the deployment of a new permanent secretary (PS) to the FCTA by the head of service of the federation.

The workers who protested on Monday, also called for the full implementation of the FCT civil service commission (CSC) law, 2018, which provided for the appointment of a permanent secretary from the FCTA.

In October 2023, President Bola Tinubu approved the CSC law for the FCT to allow career progression for civil servants in the FCT administration.

The office of the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) had recently announced Tinubu’s approval for posting of 24 permanent secretaries in federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs)

One of those appointed is Magdalene Ajani who was redeployed from the federal ministry of transportation to the FCTA to replace Olusade Adesola, the current permanent secretary who will retire on January 29.

However, Ajani’s deployment to the FCTA has been rejected by the workers.

Speaking on behalf of the workers on Monday, Matilukuro Korede, JUAC president, challenged the deployment and described it as an aberration of the FCT CSC law.

Korede said according to the CSC law, the head of service of the federation, does not have power to appoint a permanent secretary for the FCT.

He said the directors could not get to the peak of their careers when there was no CSC for FCT, adding that the workers had been deprived of the opportunity of becoming permanent secretaries.

“On Thursday, we heard that the head of service has announced that she has gotten approval from President Tinubu to deploy another permanent secretary to FCT,” he said.

“We felt aggrieved because it is an aberration. As we speak now, the FCT CSC Law has been gazetted since 2018.

“To our surprise, the head of service decided to include a name for appointment as permanent secretary for the FCT.

“As far as FCT is concerned, the permanent secretary should be appointed among the qualified directors in the FCTA and not from outside.

“This will provide an opportunity for the staff of FCTA to get to the peak of their career by becoming a permanent secretary.

“Our demand, therefore, is that the appointment of a permanent secretary outside the FCTA is an aberration and an anomaly that should be corrected.

“We are waiting for the implementation of the FCT civil service commission.”

He added that if the head of service insists on appointing a permanent secretary from outside the FCTA, she has to wait for the law to be amended and be given the power to do so.

“But between now and then, the law must be obeyed and what we know is that FCT CSC has come to stay,” he said.