915 FCT Directors take first CBT exam as age falsifiers retire

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration has retired several civil servants found guilty of falsifying their ages, even as 915 workers, mostly at directorate level, face the territory’s first-ever Computer-Based Promotion Examination.

The initiative marks a major shift toward a merit-driven, technology-based system in the FCT Civil Service.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, the Chairman of the Commission, Emeka Eze, said that while the verification exercise aimed at determining the actual size of the workforce and cleaning up service records still ongoing, it has already exposed multiple cases of falsified age records, leading to the retirement of those involved.

He also revealed that the senior staff cleared to sit for the examination were drawn from the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), Secondary Education Board (SEB), Education Secretariat, and other Departments and Agencies.

Eze said the computer-based test was introduced to ensure that only competent officers move to substantive director positions and are equipped to tackle modern, technology-driven challenges in the service.

He explained that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who established the Commission with President Bola Tinubu’s approval, was committed to clearing the years-long backlog of promotions and restoring efficiency to the system.

“We started by doing, first and foremost, a verification exercise to establish the number of workforce in FCT. And having almost finished that, the next level is to clear the backlog of promotions over the years.

“When the FCT Minister came on board, there was a backlog of outstanding promotions, to the extent that by 2023, when he came, he cleared all the backlogs of promotions dating back up to 2019, up to the level of deputy directors.

“And as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration, we needed to introduce technology to avoid, first of all, the possibility of interference and pressures. So, we will be the first commission to introduce CBT tests in Nigeria. Because the idea is that as we are finishing the result today, by next week the result is out. So there’s no possibility of anybody putting pressure on anybody for it. So this is a part of the renewed hope agenda of the present administration.” Eze said

Also speaking, Martins Azubuike, Representative of South-East in the Commission, stated that participants who fail to scale through in the exams will have no one to blame for remaining in their position.

Azubuike also disclosed that Computer based tests have come to stay in the system, and it remains a measure that will encourage workers to update their digital skills.

“If you can’t operate it, it means you can’t answer your questions. And at the end of the day, the computer will grade you. If it is zero, the computer will grade you. And those who are able to operate the computer and answer correctly, and of course, come at the top will get promoted to the tune of the number of vacancies.” He said.