A human rights organization, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), has accused the both executive and legislative arms of government in the state of a grand conspiracy to collapse the public service.
The State Chairman of the group, Comrade Emmanuel Olowu, while addressing a press conference at NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel on Wednesday, in Osogbo, the state capital, alleged that both arms of government conspire
in the bid to continue looting the state treasury.
Olowu noted that the Governor does not have the constitutional power to elongate the tenure of any civil servant, saying the idea of extending the service year of retiring public officers is a stampede of the Public Service Rule 020810.
He said that extending the service year would encourage corrupt practices, promoting nepotism and increase in unemployment among the people of the state.
He called on the Governor Ademola Adeleke to apologize to the entire Civil Service for acting in aberration against the Public Service Rules 2011 of the State.
He urged the Governor to immediately withdraw the three-year extension of service years given to the Head of Service.
He said, ”the beneficiaries of the Governor’s impunity are; Executive Secretary Mr Salawu Olatiloye of the Natural and Mineral Resources, Osun State Head of Service Mr Samuel Ayanleye Aina and Osun State Accountant-General Mr Rasheed Olalere Alabi.
According to him, “We of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) are here to express our deep concern over the continuous disregard of the Public Service Rule by the Governor of Osun State, Sen. Ademola Adeleke. The Governor has demonstrated enough discontent for the public service rule by retaining the Head of Service, Mr Samuel Ayanleye Aina and the Accountant General of the State, Mr. Rasheed Olalere Alabi, after reaching their individual’s retirement age.
“While Governor Adeleke approved the extension of the service year of the Head of Service via a letter signed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye on 04/12/2023, we have it on good authority that the Governor has also decided to retain the Accountant General.
“We used the word retain putting into consideration the fact that the Accountant General who was to retire on March 14, 2024 has remained in office and continued to perform the AG’s duty, even when there is no approval for his extension of service yet. The Accountant-General is still in the office after retirement.
“The Governor has been acting with impunity; and the House of Assembly is also an accomplice in disregarding the Osun Public Service Rule 2011.
“How could the Accountant-General, who was to retire on Thursday, 14th March 2024 failed to retire and other permanent Secretary who should have dropped their letter of retirement six months to their retirement age have also failed to do so because they are of the assumption that what is good for the HOS and the AG should be good for all senior cadre officers too.
“We note that there is a grand conspiracy between the Executive and Legislative arms of government to collapse the public service in the bid to continue looting the state treasury.
“The Governor should order all Permanent Secretaries whose retirements are less than six months and who are yet to submit their letter of retirement as stated in the Public Service Rule to commence the process immediately.
Reacting to the accusation of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), the Spokesperson to the Osun State Governor, Olawale Rasheed, said Governor Adeleke is governs with eye on public interest and who remains ever committed to ongoing reform of the public service and the sanitisation of the state’s financial management system
He said, “It is elementary in law and governance that the constitution is the ground norm which supercedes any state rules or regulations. That constitution empowers the state governor to appoint into top public service office alongside attendant powers.
“Mr Governor on assumption of office launched public service and financial management reform. The reforms are spearheaded by both Mr Ayanleye Aina (Head of Service) and Rasheed Olalere ( Accountant General). The reforms ensure emergence of permanent secretaries, right placement of personnel, promotion and integrity in state financial system The Governor for strategic public interest and within his constitutional powers extended the tenure of offices of both the Head of Service and the State’s Accountant General.
“Governor Adeleke was not the first Governor in Osun state to extend tenure of a serving appointees. In the last 13 years, Governors extended tenures of permanent secretaries, Head of Services, Accountant Generals among others. The precedent exists already.
“We however want to reiterate that the Governor has not extended the tenure of any permanent secretary. The Governor had earlier declared that extension of service is not a policy but an instrument to meet subsisting needs of the state leadership.
“We assure the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) that Mr Governor, as the architect of ongoing public sector reforms, is determined to pursue the reform to produce a truly professional public service” he added
