By Awwal Umar Kontagora The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Niger State Council, has clarified that retired deputy directors who ...
By Awwal Umar Kontagora
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Niger State Council, has clarified that retired deputy directors who were still in active service when the state government approved the reduction of the promotion examination pass mark to 50 per cent may still be eligible for promotion to the directorate level.
The council's chairman, Comrade Idrees Abdulkareem Lafene, made the clarification while addressing journalists in Minna amid complaints from some officers who had completed the promotion exercise but retired before receiving their promotion letters.
Lafene explained that eligibility would be determined by the date the government approved the revised pass mark, rather than the date individual promotion files were processed.
He noted that officers who had retired before the approval of the waiver would not benefit, as exit promotion had been abolished under the applicable establishment guidelines.
The NLC chairman recalled that the Congress had intervened on behalf of officers approaching retirement by engaging the Head of Service and appealing to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to provide funds for the promotion exercise and approve the reduction of the pass mark.
He explained that the examination pass mark was initially set at 60 per cent but was later reduced to 50 per cent after many candidates failed, partly due to challenges associated with computer-based examinations.
Lafene disclosed that the Congress had yet to receive formal complaints from the affected retirees. He therefore urged them to channel their grievances through their respective unions, accompanied by relevant documents, including appointment letters, promotion records and retirement notices.
He assured the affected officers that verified cases involving those who were still in active service when the waiver was approved would be taken up with the relevant authorities for appropriate consideration.
The labour leader also called for improved preparation ahead of future promotion exercises, recommending that the Head of Service organise computer-based examination training at least three months before each exercise to ensure that digital literacy challenges do not disadvantage civil servants.
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