FG to sanction civil servants who collect salaries after relocating abroad

President Bola Tinubu says civil servants who relocated abroad but are still drawing salaries from federal coffers must refund the money.

Tinubu spoke on Saturday at an event organised by the office of the head of the civil service of the federation (HOCSF) to mark the 2024 civil service week.

On Wednesday, Folasade Yemi-Esan, head of the civil service of the federation, said the government is making efforts to “tackle” workers who relocated abroad but are still on the payroll.

Speaking on Saturday, Tinubu who was represented by George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), directed that the heads and supervisors of the departments of such workers must also be sanctioned.

“While I was away in South Africa, I monitored some of the activities and especially read the shocking revelation by the head of service about hundreds of workers who had relocated abroad, without formally resigning their appointments and who were drawing salaries from the treasury, for years,” Tinubu said.

“Although, the head of service said some of these fraudulent workers have been uncovered, she should not stop there.

“The culprits must be made to refund the money they have fraudulently collected. Their supervisors and department heads must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch.

“The Nigerian civil service cannot just be a workplace where ‘anything is possible,’ where workers violate rules without the fear of punishment or repercussion.

“The civil service of any nation is too important for such delinquent behaviour to take root or be tolerated.

“The civil service is the bedrock, the engine, the locomotive of government, which is necessary for the government to deliver public goods to citizens.

“As politicians, we are no more than drivers of the locomotives that you provide.

“Those who say that a nation is as good as its civil service are close to the truth. You are the real establishment that remains to pilot government affairs as we politicians come and go.

“Over the decades, successive governments initiated various national development plans and programmes and all relied on the civil service to translate such plans into high-impact programmes and projects across all sectors of the nation’s economy. We expect you to do the same under our administration.

“This is why we support building, nurturing, and empowering the human capital in the service.

“This is why there is a paramount need to enshrine a culture of professionalism and build confidence in civil servants.”

Tinubu said his administration is committed to ensuring the welfare and development of all civil servants to deliver optimal performance for the growth of the nation.

The president said the federal civil service is driving a strategic plan that is aligned with the priorities of his government.

Tinubu asked ministers, permanent secretaries and chief executives of various ministries, departments and agencies to fast-track reforms in their respective MDAs to “deliver the dividends of the renewed hope agenda to Nigerians”.