President Bola Tinubu has demanded severe penalties for Nigerian civil servants who relocate abroad while continuing to draw salaries from Nigeria as well as those complicit in facilitating such fraudulent activities.

Addressing attendees at the grand finale of the 2024 Civil Service Week Award and Gala Night held on Saturday, June 22, President Tinubu expressed his concern over revelations shared by the head of the civil service regarding employees who had unlawfully received salaries after moving abroad without formal resignation.

“We must ensure those responsible are held accountable and restitution is made. The culprits must refund the money they fraudulently collected, and their supervisors and department heads must also face consequences for their complicity,” President Tinubu asserted.

Emphasising the importance of a robust and disciplined civil service, President Tinubu underscored that such misconduct undermines the integrity and effectiveness of Nigeria’s governmental institutions.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to upholding meritocracy and fostering a culture of excellence within the civil service.

President Tinubu’s remarks come amidst ongoing efforts to reform the civil service, highlighted by recent initiatives aimed at enhancing employee welfare and performance across ministries and departments.

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In her address, the Head of Civil Service, Folashade Yemi-Esan, outlined the strides made in implementing a Reward and Recognition System aimed at boosting morale and productivity among civil servants.

She commended President Tinubu for his support in improving civil service welfare, including recent measures such as wage increases and housing initiatives.

She said: “In underscoring the nexus between incentives and performance, it is pertinent to emphasise that the Civil Service must not be seen as a dumping ground for job seekers but must attract the best and the brightest who will contribute fresh ideas and demonstrate the determination and capability to drive national plans and solve our socio-economic problems.

“The federal government has also progressively made modest interventions for the improved welfare of civil servants in recent times. At this juncture, I wish to profoundly appreciate His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for demonstrating both the will and passion for improving the welfare of the workforce through the N35,000 provisional wage award for all treasury-paid Federal Government workers for six months and ongoing efforts to review the minimum wage.

“It is also very important to state that the Office of the Head of Service has not been working alone. In enhancing the value proposition for civil servants, we have enjoyed the collaboration of stakeholders and partners both with the public and private sectors.”