President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the Civil Service Commission for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to allow career progression for civil servants.

“I can tell you authoritatively that Mr President has given the approval for the establishment of Civil Service Commission for the FCTA,” FCT Minister Nyesom Wike told journalists in Abuja on Friday.

Mr Wike said that in 2018, the National Assembly passed a bill to establish CSC for the FCT, which was assented to by the then-acting President Yemi Osibanjo.

He said the civil servants in the FCTA had lost hope because directors in the administration could not get to the apex of their careers because there was no CSC.

Mr Wike added that the commission creation law had been signed, but nobody wanted to implement it for different reasons.

He explained that while some feared what others would say, others felt the development would reduce their power and influence.

The minister said he was just recently aware of the existence of the law.

“So, I wrote a memo to Mr President. I say, you have a renewed hope agenda; civil servants in FCT are suffering; they have lost hope.

“They are not committed to work. Why should I be working because, at the end of the day, I can’t get to the apex of my career? As such, we must implement that 2018 law passed by the National Assembly.

“If there are challenges, of course, there is no law that is perfect. You can only know the challenges when you start implementing them,” Mr Wike said.

The minister explained that with this development, civil servants will go beyond directors to become permanent secretaries, adding, “That is the essence of the renewed hope agenda.”

Mr Wike said he accepted to work with Mr Tinubu because of his capacity and political will to do things other people feared.

He pointed out that one of the country’s problems was leadership, urging people to be confident in doing the right thing.

(NAN)