The federal government has granted automatic promotion to six civil servants who were abducted while travelling to sit for their promotion examinations in 2025.
The affected officers, all from the ministry of defence,
were kidnapped in Kogi state while en route from Lagos to Abuja for the
exercise.
Tunji Olaopa, chairman other Federal Civil Service
Commission (FCSC), announced the development on Saturday in Abuja.
Olaopa described the incident as regrettable and the
decision as a compassionate response to the trauma experienced by the victims.
He said the commission, in consultation with the Office of
the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and other stakeholders,
approved the promotion to their next grade level as education officers.
“The commission, in giving due consideration to the trauma
that the victims of the kidnapping went through, hereby, on compassionate
grounds grant automatic promotion to the six candidates to their next grade
level,” Olaopa said.
He added that the commission commiserated with the affected
officers on behalf of the federal civil service and acknowledged the emotional
and psychological toll of the incident.
He described he new directors as “guinea pigs” in the
transition from traditional pen-and-paper promotion exams to computer-based
testing (CBT), a move the commission said recorded near 100% success.
Olaopa said the development has reinforced the need to
reform the conduct of promotion examinations, particularly by reducing the
risks associated with long-distance travel by candidates.
“The CBT has enhanced transparency, reduced cost, manpower,
and time, while improving reliability, accuracy, and timely processing of
results. These officers helped us test the new system and set a strong
foundation for future promotion exercises,” he said.
Olaopa also noted that the commission is committed to using
technology to decentralise examinations, allowing civil servants to take
promotion tests closer to their duty stations to prevent long-distance travel
risks.
He further discussed systemic weaknesses in the civil
service, including declining professional skills, workforce planning gaps, and
effects of long recruitment embargoes, which have contributed to imbalances in
manpower and promotion stagnation.
Olaopa said ongoing human resource audits and reforms in
performance evaluation aim to address these issues and strengthen institutional
capacity.
He urged newly promoted directors to embrace reform and
professionalism, noting the need for a renewed commitment to public service
values and national development.
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