Top Delta Civil Servants Retire Over Gov’s Threat On Age Falsification

Some top civil servants in Delta State have voluntarily tendered their resignation letters following the threat by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to expose those who have altered their age to remain in the system.

The governor made the threat while frowning at the attitude of some civil servants in the state who engage in age falsification with the dubious intent to prolong their years of service.

Oborevwori handed down the warning in Asaba at a dinner organised by the state government for the College of Permanent Secretaries, led by the state’s Head of Service, Mr Reginald Bayoko; heads of Extra Ministerial Departments, directors and deputy directors in the state’s civil service.

Checks by LEADERSHIP Sunday indicated that at least four directors have hurriedly submitted their letters of retirement with hints that many more might follow as a result of the palpable fear among top civil servants in Delta State.

It was however not clear whether the four directors who submitted letters for voluntary retirement are above 60 years, or may have reached the border of 35 years in service, which is the other requirement for leaving the system.

The governor had warned those involved to desist from such dubious act or face severe sanctions while threatening to expose those engaged in such nefarious activities.

He said any civil servant who had attained the age of retirement should retire from the service so as to create opportunity for younger ones to be employed, adding that civil servants should always enter their real age in their documentations.

While saying that the state had a workforce of over 60,000 with a monthly wage bill of over N16 billion monthly, the governor appealed to permanent secretaries, heads of extra ministerial departments, directors and deputy directors to continue to discharge their duties diligently and professionally.

The governor said, “We will follow due process in appointing a new Head of Service when the time comes and in due course, more permanent secretaries will be appointed,” stressing that the appointment of permanent secretaries is by merit and vacancy.

Oborevwori who disclosed that the state government was not owing any of its contractors said, “recently, we did 40 per cent mobilisation to our contractors. The problem we are having is not the multinationals; it is our local contractors.”