Over 300 directors gunning for 20 permsec slots
Over 300 directors in Federal Government ministries, agencies and parastatals submitted their documents to the office of the Head of Service of the Federation ahead of writing examinations to become permanent secretaries.
The applicants were drawn from 20 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that have slots to fill.
The screening exercise started yesterday and would be followed by written exams, oral interview and interactive sessions in the coming days.
Sources close the screening committee, the first step of the exercise, said there were many directors from the affected states that applied to sit for the examination.
“No fewer than three hundred names have been pencilled down. However, many were weeded out yesterday at the commencement of the screening. But only the available slots would be filled.
“All directors who are due for retirement in the next six months have been told not to waste their time in writing the examination because they would not be considered,” one of the sources said.
Another source said many more applicants would be dropped in the coming days for other reasons, including disciplinary records, competence among other factors.
The verification of credentials began yesterday at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) in Abuja and will end tomorrow.
The policy reversal was announced in a circular dated Monday and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office (CMO), Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan in the Office of Head of Service of the Federation (OHoCSF).
In line with the federal character principle one permanent secretary is appointed per state as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The eligible states in the ongoing exercise are, Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross-River, Delta, Edo and Ekiti states.
Others are Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto and the Federal Capital Territory.
Speaking to Daily Trust, spokesman of the OHoCSF, Haruna Imrana said the exercise was in the interest of national development and that the schedule was already known to those concerned.
Daily Trust reports that the change in policy for the federal permsecs to write examinations was part of the resolutions of the National Council on Establishment (NEC) held June 2016 in Minna, Niger State.