ADC gov candidate urges Sokoto govt to review post-retirement policy

File: Sokoto State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan’iya

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress in Sokoto State, Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, has accused the All Progressives Congress led administration of destroying the state civil service through what he described as indiscriminate retention of retired civil servants in active positions.

Dan’iya, in a statement issued on Wednesday by his Media Aide, Aminu Abdullahi, alleged that the government’s policy of granting extensions to retired officials was weakening the established career structure and blocking opportunities for younger civil servants.

He stated that the practice had affected various levels of the public service, including primary and secondary school teachers, headmasters, principals and Permanent Secretaries.

According to him, some retired officials were allegedly being allowed to remain in their previous positions beyond the statutory retirement age rather than being engaged under clearly defined contractual arrangements for specific assignments.

“A civil service survives on rules, professionalism, succession and institutional memory. Once those principles are deliberately weakened, the institution itself begins to collapse,” Dan’iya said.

The ADC candidate also alleged that some people without relevant professional backgrounds were being appointed to sensitive positions, citing the alleged deployment of teachers as finance officers while trained financial officers were sidelined.

He described the situation at the state secretariat and other government institutions as worrisome, stressing that the civil service was becoming “a box with empty shelves.”

Dan’iya claimed that reports from civil servants at the Shehu Kangiwa and Usman Faruk Secretariats indicated that some workers had little or no meaningful work to perform, with several others, allegedly reporting to their offices only a few days a week.

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He argued that a poorly functioning civil service would undermine the government’s ability to provide essential services in education, healthcare, water, infrastructure, agriculture and security.

“You cannot build a modern state with a civil service that has been reduced to merely occupying offices. Government exists to serve the people, and the civil service is the machinery through which that service is delivered,” he said.

Dan’iya called on the state government to urgently review its policy on post-retirement appointments, extensions and placements, while restoring merit, professionalism and career progression within the service.

He insisted that retired civil servants whose expertise were still needed should be engaged transparently through properly defined contracts rather than indefinite extensions that could obstruct succession.

The ADC candidate also pledged that, if elected, his administration would restore professionalism in the state civil service through merit-based appointments and promotions, proper succession planning and deployment of officers according to their qualifications and areas of competence.

“The Sokoto civil service must not be allowed to die quietly. It is the machinery of government, and when that machinery stops working, the entire state suffers,” Dan’iya said.

He urged the APC-led government to treat the alleged deterioration of the civil service as an emergency and take immediate steps to address the situation.