40 Directors Fail FG Promotion Examination

A significant number of directors in the federal civil service have failed the qualifying examination for appointment as permanent secretaries.

According to The Nation, out of 92 directors who took the examination on May 27, 2024, 40 scored below 50 percent, indicating failure.

Additionally, three directors were absent, and one was unable to complete the exam.

The examination was part of the selection process for appointing new permanent secretaries to fill existing and forthcoming vacancies in various states, including Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Ondo, Zamfara, and regions within the South-East and South-South.

The Office of the Head of Civil Service, led by Folashade Yemi-Esan, has been working to address these vacancies through a rigorous selection process.

The eligibility criteria for appointment as permanent secretaries include having reached the position of substantive director on salary grade level 17 by January 1, 2022, updating records on the IPPIS Verification Portal, being from the specified states or geopolitical zones, and not retiring before December 31, 2025.

Officers currently undergoing disciplinary procedures are excluded from the selection process.

The next phase of the selection procedure will involve an ICT-based assessment, as disclosed in a memorandum dated May 28, 2024, from the Office of the Head of Service.

This development comes as the federal government continues to work towards addressing the prevailing and forthcoming vacancies in the federal civil service.

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, had earlier outlined the details of the selection process in a circular addressed to key government figures, including the Chief of Staff to the President and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The circular emphasized the importance of adhering to eligibility criteria and maintaining a clean disciplinary record.