The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate promotion stagnation in the Federal Civil Service from 2013 to 2023.
The resolution followed a motion by Rep. Salman Idris, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Agric Colleges and Institutions. Idris emphasized that promotion is crucial for civil servants’ career progression and serves as a motivational incentive for productivity.
Idris criticized the persistent stagnation in promotions across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), citing its impact on service delivery, specialized skills, productivity, employee morale, unrest, and corruption.
“The menace of promotion stagnation in the civil service calls for urgent attention and intervention of this hallowed chamber, if the policies and programmes of Government must be achieved,” Idris said. He called for a holistic reform to promote global best practices in the civil service, stressing the importance of timely promotions and recommendations.
Idris noted that some civil servants who eventually get promoted and pass mandatory exams are promoted notionally but not financially, despite MDAs making provisions for such expenditures in yearly budgets. He warned that promotion stagnation affects officers’ careers, highlighting that civil servants are expected to reach the pinnacle of their careers within 35 years or by the retirement age of 60.
The House directed the Committee on Public Sector and Institutional Reforms to investigate promotion stagnation in the Federal Civil Service from 2013 to 2023. The committee is to report back within four weeks with recommendations to ensure a robust civil service during this critical stage of the nation’s development.
