FCSC chairman commends NASS efforts in improving budgetary allocation
..as lawmakers urges Commission to declare vacancies in federal civil service
By Tunde Opalana
Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa has commended the National Assembly for interfacing with the office of the Accountant General of the Federation to ensure shoring up of budgetary allocation to the Commission.
Prof. Olaopa told journalists at the end of the defence of the Commission’s 2025 budget before the joint sitting of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Public Service on Friday.
The chairman said he owed the achievements he recorded since assumption of office to the firm support of chairmen of both committees.
He specifically thanked both chairmen, Senator Cyril Fasuyi and Hon. Sani Baba for interfacing with necessary agencies of government to jack up budgetary allocations to the Federal Civil Service Commission.
When asked about the interaction with the joint committee, the former Federal Permanent Secretary said “it is a very good thing to recognize the challenge that you have. Incidentally, the President, just rose up to the challenge for us.
“But from the appropriation side, we certainly need the National Assembly. And from the tone of the conversation, you will see that both ways, we have people who recognize the value of a professionalized public service.
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“And they know that if the public service is working, it will work for them. It will work for Nigerians. It will solve some of the problems that brought them today as representative and distinguished senators. So we are very, very excited.
“One would have expected that maybe because we are not able to rise up to some of the challenges, some of the expectations from us, they will just not be happy with us and all.
“But rather than do that, they showed empathy. They rose up to the challenge. They took the responsibility even from us. And sincerely, we can only say that we are encouraged to work better.”
While not taking the parliamentary support for granted, he promised to do his best in the 2025 financial year in improving upon budgetary performance of the Commission.
Prof. Olaopa also assured the nation that the Federal Civil Service Commission is ready to contribute it’s own quota to the realization of reduction in unemployment rate by the Tinubu administration.
According to him, the Commission is ready to set in motion process of recruitment once the Federal Government lift embargo on job placement into the federal civil service.
During the budget defence session, majority of the members of the joint committee bemoaned the embargo on recruitment .
Majority of them complaint of backlash and embarrassment from their constituents over inability to facilitate employment opportunities to their people.
A few of the lawmakers also demanded appointment of federal commissioners from their states into the Commission as stipulated by law.
The Committee, however, charged Prof. Olaopa to leverage on his close relationship with President Bola Tinubu to attract handsome budgetary allocations to the Commission.
