Group faults Gov. Dickson’s extension of HOS’s tenure

The Bayelsa First Initiative on Wednesday in Yenagoa criticised the extension of the tenure of the state’s Head of Service, Peter Singabele, by six months with effect from June 16.
The BFI in a statement signed by Chief Nathan Egba, its Director-General, accused Governor Seriake Dickson of manipulating the operations of public institutions by approving the tenure elongation.
Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff, the Secretary to the State Government, announced the approval for the elongation of the HOS’s tenure in a statement on June 20.
Egba wondered why Dickson would extend the services of the HOS after he had attained the mandatory retirement age of 60 or 35 years in service.
According to him, there are competent civil servants, who can occupy the office.
He said: “We are at a loss as to the basis for the decision to extend Singabele’s appointment. although, we in the BFI do not doubt Singabele’s integrity or capacity.
“If anything, we applaud his meritorious service to the state but we do not believe that there is no other civil servant qualified enough to occupy that exalted office.
“If the governor’s claim that Singabele should be around to complete the re-organisation of the civil service is true, then we advise that he be given an appropriate political appointment to complete that assignment.”
Egba also criticised the current system whereby Bayelsa State’s entire payroll and the functions of the office of the Accountant-General were being co-ordinated by Dickson’s Special Adviser on Treasury Matters.
The BFI called on the governor to rescind the decision to elongate Singabele’s stay in office to avoid setting a bad precedent that could weaken the morale of civil servants.
In a reaction, Jonathan Obuebite, the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, exonerated the state governor of the allegations of manipulating the civil service structure.
The commissioner, who described the claims as the handiwork of disgruntled politicians, urged such aggrieved politicians to steer clear of the state civil service..
Obuebite explained that Dickson had assured permanent secretaries in the state that the ongoing reforms were meant to reposition the civil service for greater efficiency.