President Bola Tinubu mandates that Nigerian civil servants who relocated abroad must refund salaries collected during their absence. Department heads who facilitated this fraud will also face punishment. This directive, announced at the 2024 Civil Service Award, aims to enforce accountability and enhance public sector efficiency.
At the 2024 Civil Service Award and Gala Night, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced a strict new directive aimed at eliminating fraud within the Nigerian civil service. Held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, the event marked the culmination of the week-long 2024 Civil Service Week.
Addressing the issue of civil servants who had relocated abroad while continuing to draw salaries without formally resigning, President Tinubu was unequivocal in his call for accountability. "We must ensure those responsible are held accountable and restitution is made," Tinubu declared. "The culprits must be made to refund the money they have fraudulently collected. Their supervisors and department heads must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch."
The President emphasized that the Nigerian Civil Service cannot be a workplace where rules are flouted without consequences. "The civil service of any nation is too important for such misconduct to take root or be tolerated. The Civil Service is the bedrock, the engine, the locomotive of government, which is necessary for the government to deliver public goods to citizens. As politicians, we are no more than drivers of the locomotives that you provide," he said.
During the media parley to mark the 2024 civil service week, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation disclosed the revelation regarding employees who had relocated abroad while drawing salaries. She assured that measures have been taken to address this issue, reinforcing the administration's commitment to integrity and accountability.
This directive is part of a broader series of reforms under President Tinubu’s administration aimed at enhancing efficiency and governance in Nigeria’s public sector. By tackling absenteeism and enforcing strict adherence to policies, the government hopes to ensure that public resources are utilized effectively for the nation’s development.
