44th National Council/Annual Conference: Participant Seeks Enforcement of Rule Against Forged Dates of Birth
44th National Council/Annual Conference: Participant Seeks Enforcement of Rule Against Forged Dates of Birth
Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia
The National Council of Civil Service Commissions has been urged to approve a strict and enforceable rule against any public servant found to have forged or presented multiple birth certificates during their career progression in the Federal, State, or Local Government civil service.
The call was contained in a memorandum submitted by the Imo State Civil Service Commission during the 44th National Council and Annual Conference of Civil Service Commissions holding in Umuahia, Abia State.
Presenting the memorandum on Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary of the Imo State Civil Service Commission, Mr. Evans Iroanya, stated that the civil service has long been plagued by cases of fabricated or multiple dates of birth.
He argued that the proclamation of a clear rule to address the “ugly trend” would curb overstaying in service, create room for appropriate vacancies, and allow for the employment of youths through proper retirement procedures.
He emphasized that the proposed rule would instill discipline in the documentation of new appointees and reduce the falsification or manipulation of dates of birth.
He stated: “The proclamation will instill discipline in the public service of the Federation and the states, and curb the stagnation of junior officers who are denied progression in their chosen careers when due.
“Certificates issued by the National Population Commission or general hospitals should be recognized for the purpose of recruiting officers into the service.
“We urge governments at various levels to proclaim that any public servant found to have manipulated or falsified, or to possess multiple dates of birth, shall be dismissed and prosecuted in any court of competent jurisdiction within the Federation.
“We urge the Federal and State Governments to initiate the necessary steps to implement this proclamation.
“We also urge the Federal and State Governments to prioritize honesty and sincerity in record keeping and to clearly define the institutions authorized to issue acceptable birth certificates for recruitment into the service.”
Responding, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Mr. Phillip Ebiogeh, said that declarations of age are still recognized as valid documents in the service because many hospitals do not yet operate digital record-keeping systems.
He added that any damage suffered by such hospitals, such as fire outbreaks or flooding could result in individuals losing access to their original records, thereby justifying the continued need for age declarations.
The 44th National Council and Annual Conference of Civil Service Commissions is aimed at “Repositioning Civil Service Commissions in Nigeria as a Hub of Professionalism in Public Service Human Resource Management.”