Lamentation Of Taraba Civil Servants

How Govt. Agencies, Parastatal  Collapsed  Under Gov. Ishaku

•Workers Lament Lack of Running Cost, Poor Motivation

Civil servants in Taraba state are lamenting the collapsed of several ministries and agencies of government under Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku's administration, faulting his introduction of 'memo system' to governance in the state when he was elected in 2015.

The memo system empowers only governor to approve and release money to ministries and agencies of government as against the Procurement Act 2007.

Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper investigations revealed that non provision of  running cost to Ministries and parastatal of government; non-payment of pension and gratuity to retiring civil servants;   lacks of respect for civil services rules and poor coordination of administrative governance crippled government activities in the state under Governor Ishaku.

Taraba Truth and Facts gathered that about 70% of the state civil service has collapsed with many workers shunning their duty posts.

Several senior civil servants in the state who spoke to this newspaper said funds to run the activities of the government within the civil service were withheld for months stressing that ministries and agencies of governments in the state had only received running cost for only two months in 2021 as at November 30th.

While defending their 2022 budget at the State House of Assembly Complex Jalingo,  Permanent Secretary Ministry of Urban and Development Usman Ahmed Madu said the ministry which is saddle with the responsibility of beautifying the state has challenges which include lack office utility vehicles, inadequate man power and non-release of funds among numerous challenges.  

On his part the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment Isa Mohammed said the Ministry is made up of six departments but decried inadequate manpower, lack of office accommodations among others are some of the challenges faced by the ministry.

He call on the state government to come to the aid of the ministries by releasing and increasing the funds allocated to the ministry for development to thrive in the state.

"Can you imagine that even his Commissioners since they are appointed have not received any official Vehicles, sometimes we lack funds to fuel our vehicles to carry out basic government activities, many ministries lacks basic writing materials, some don't even have decent office space to work, how do you expect such workforce to be productive?" a senior civil servant said during an interview.

A junior staff at working at the General Sani Abacha  Secretariat Complex decries deteriorating working environments civil servants in the state are subjected to work under.

"Take a look at this State Secretariat, where should be headquarters of government administrative operations look at how it is in shambles, we sometime contribute money to fuel generator for our various offices, in some offices there are no fans, ACs, chairs and tables.

"We don't have computers, printers and access to internet so we go outside to cyber cafes to type government documents; our toilets are in bad conditions and we don't have water, imagine the State Secretariat does not have running water that tells you how deplorable things has gone under this administration, so it's not a conducive environment, we just managing the system; even the buildings are falling aparts and need renovation but this administration does not care."      

 Taraba Truth and Facts newspaper gathered that Governor Ishaku's decision not to provide running cost to MDA's  has made government work boring and discouraging to workers who noted  that before the coming of Governor Ishaku six years ago, government activities was functioning well in the state.

"In the days of Danbaba, TARCMA were building roads even within Jalingo, the civil servants there were engaged but today if you go to many government agencies  you will weep for Taraba, the state has been brought to its kneel. Civil servants who drive the policies of government cannot even explain what this government is doing.  

"During the time of late governor Danbaba Danfula Suntai and Garba Umar UTC, running cost were coming to Ministries and Paratatals frequently and that was making Ministries and agencies to solve some of the little problems that comes their way, but the inability of Governor Darius Ishaku to provide running cost is biting hard that has today turned most of the Ministries other agencies to be redundant.

"Civil servants in Taraba State are performing below expectations, infact the civil service that used to serve as engine room of the government is in total ruin, this government crippled the once vibrant civil service system in Taraba State, now workers hardly goes to work because there's nothing to do, many workers in most ministries are redundant, they lack the basic things like paper to work. Everything about Taraba State revolves round Governor Ishaku and a very few, how do you expect meaningful development, Taraba workers are poorly motivated and are tired of this government," a  civil servant  lamented.

A member of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and a senior director from one of the vibrant Ministry in the state said Governor Ishaku does not have any regards for civil servants in the state and feels too big to listen to advise to would help his government, urging him to emulate the late Suntai leadership style in managing affairs of the state.

"You see, revenue generation in the state is low because of lack of coordination in governance, most of the jobs the civil servants are to do have been awarded as consultancy to politicians and political thugs, these people don't understand workings of government and inter agencies relationship that why their performance and contribution to the state is very poor, the civil servant is trained and experienced to carry out these jobs.

"Each timethe governor is advisedto learn from his predecessors, he gets  angry. Its demoralizing working and duties are not assigned to you as a Director, we have people in the civil services that could proffer solution to many challenges facing the state but working under leadership of Governor Ishaku is discouraging, his leadership has crippled career of many civil servants in the state, we don't look up for promotions again, many of our colleague who should be Permanent Secretaries are not promoted because of Ishaku's style extending tenures of people who should have long retired, in circumstances like these you don't expect the work force to be loyal, the governor should know majority of the civil servants are not happy with him, many of them are regretting voting him for a second term," the senior civil servant said.  

Chairman of the Finance And Appropriation Committee, Hon  Mohammed Abdulkarim  in its report on the 2022 Taraba State Appropriation Bill  noted that  "many Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Taraba state do not have operational vehicles which hampers their optimum operation, recommending that  Government should endeavour to purchase or provide funds to acquire operational vehicles to enable them carry out their activities with ease

Lamenting that  lack of payment of gratuities and early inclusion of retired civil servants on pension pay roll partly contributes to the unwillingness of some civil servants to exit the civil service, the report recommended that civil servants who had completed their 35 years of service or 60  years of age should be disengaged from the workforce. The Committee also recommends that Pension and Gratuities be paid promptly and on time to encourage more Civil Servants to consider retiring when due.