Nigerian Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for the harmonisation of structures and salary levels in the federal and state civil services.
Jonathan made the call in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, during the foundation-laying and fundraising ceremony for the secretariat complex of the Bayelsa State Association of Retired Permanent Secretaries.
The former president said workers performing similar roles in the state and federal civil services should have comparable grades and salary structures.
Jonathan recalled that while serving as governor of Bayelsa State, he restructured the state civil service to create Grade Level 17 for directors who previously retired on Level 16.
He said the move was intended to ensure that directors in the state civil service were placed on the same level as their counterparts in the federal service.
“Somebody who is a director in the Bayelsa State Civil Service should be qualified to be a director in the federal civil service and they must be on the same grade level,” Jonathan said.
He noted that he had directed relevant officials during his tenure as governor to restructure the service and create Grade Level 17 for directors.
“The civil service of the federation is the civil service of the federation, whether you are working at the state level or you are working at the federal level. And I believe that the salary structure should be the same because it’s the same government,” he said.
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Jonathan also compared the situation with university lecturers, saying: “A professor lecturing in a federal university should receive the same salary as a professor lecturing in a state university.”
He commended the retired permanent secretaries for initiating the secretariat project, saying it would provide benefits beyond members of the association.
“I have to thank all of you, and I appreciate you for your service to the state and, by implication, to the country. And for this noble project that you are doing, I commend you.
“This is not going to serve the retired permanent secretaries alone. It’s going to serve the state, not just the government alone, but also private citizens,” he said.
The former president also said the calibre of personnel in the Bayelsa State Public Service compared favourably with their counterparts at the federal level.
He said the proposed secretariat would provide a platform for retired permanent secretaries to continue contributing their experience and knowledge to the development of the state.
Representing Governor Douye Diri at the event, the Head of Service, Dr Ebiye Sawyer, pledged the state government’s support for the project.
Dr. Sawyer commended the retired public servants for their vision and dedication, describing the project as an initiative that would preserve their contribution to public service.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the association, King Collins Ebi Daniel, described the proposed secretariat complex as an institutional edifice that would preserve the legacy of public service.
He said the complex would contain administrative offices, event halls, conference rooms and recreational facilities.
Daniel disclosed that the project was estimated to cost N500 million and was expected to be completed within two years.
Other dignitaries at the ceremony, including the Chairman of the occasion, Professor Imiri, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Yenagoa Campus, and the Chief Launcher, Chief Maxwell Oko, pledged their support for the project.
They also urged the association to use the facility as a policy institute that could contribute to development at the state and national levels.
The event was attended by traditional ruler, King Amalate Turner, and Senator representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District, Senator Benson Agadaga.
The highlights of the ceremony included the formal foundation-laying by Jonathan, a fundraising session and a cultural presentation by the Bayelsa State Council for Arts and Culture.
