The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita has faulted the sacking of 95 workers in March, 2017 by the Police Service Commission.
The HOS said the commission should have complied with the court judgment asking it to regularize the appointment of the workers since it did not appeal against the court order.
In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission, Sir Mike Okiro, Oyo-Ita directed the Commission to recall the 95 workers to avoid actions that may embarrass the government through court execution against government properties, accounts or officials.
The directive to Okiro dated June 1, 2017 with reference number, HCSF/LU/CORR/SGF/833/III was signed by Permanent Secretary, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan on behalf of the HoS.
It read in part, “The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation advised that where there no appeals against valid judgments of courts, efforts should be made to ensure compliance to avoid embarrassment to government arising from the enforcement of same by ways of execution against government properties, against accounts of MDAs and committal proceedings against government functionaries.”
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The directive was in response to a letter by Femi Falana law chambers to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami in which it threatened to obtain damages against the government for flouting a court order in respect of the sacked workers.
The letter had drawn the AGF’s attention to the huge financial debt the commission would incur against the Federal Government if it continued to disobey the order of the National Industrial Court.
Falana in the letter said the commission refused to capture his clients names in the Integrated Personal Payroll Information System thereby denying them their salaries and allowances from April, 2013 till date “which is a clear violation of Regulation 040102 and 130105 of the Federal Government Public Service Rules.”
Contacted for response, PSC spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani said he was not aware of the HoS directive and could not comment on it.
Recall that Justice E.D. Isele of the NIC had in his ruling dated October 18, 2016, described as illegal the refusal of the commission to pay the workers their salaries and allowances.
The court restrained the commission from further refusing to pay the claimants their salaries and allowances, harassing, suspending their employment without due compliance with the extant provision of the law regulating the claimants’ employment.
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