DESO BRIEFING ON PUBLIC SERVICE RULES 2025 STAFF PROMOTION EXERCISE.pptx

Expose on the Public Service Rules in Nigeria

1. 2025 PROMOTION EXERCISE BRIEFING ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE RULES by John Mairafi Ahmadu Director, Executive Secretary’s Office 1

2. INTRODUCTION Government, like/ as any other employer of labour , has the duty to establish rules and regulations to guide/ govern the conduct of employees in its establishments. Employees, as those responsible for the implementation of government policy directives, require guidance on the principles and standards expected of them in bringing up appropriate programmes to execute such policies. Public Service Rules (PSR) are set of rules & regulations put in place to govern the conduct of government business and enforce compliance by employees as well as to ensure the rights of employees and enforce compliance by employees . It is the duty of Employees to fully acquaint themselves with the Public Service Rules, including other relevant Circulars and policy directives, as may be released by government from time to time (PSR 010101). 2

3. APPOINTMENTS Authority for A a ppointment/recruitment into the Public Service is vested in the Federal Civil Service Commission or the President, as the case may be. While the President is empowered: to appoint Chief Executives of MDAs, Permanent Secretaries, career diplomats and such others as the Law may provide The Federal Civil Service Commission is responsible for the appointment of all other officers into the Federal Public Service. The National Judicial Service, National Assembly Service Commission, Police Service Commission and such others are also responsible for appointment into their various services. These powers are either exercised directly or indirectly through other offices that the Commission empowers to do so on its behalf. The Commission directly appoints officers on grade level 12-17 when vacancies become available. 3

4. APPOINTMENTS contd.. Types of appointments: Permanent Appointment; Contract Appointment; and Sabbatical Appointment. (a) Permanent Appointment (PSR 020101) This is a pensionable appointment offered to a person found suitable by an appropriate appointing Authority. (b) Contract Appointment (PSR 020401) This is an appointment offered to a person for a specified period and renewable by mutual consent. The contract appointment must be recorded in a formal legal agreement document . (c) Sabbatical Appointment This is an appointment offered to an Officer, not below the rank of Senior Lecturer or Principal Assistant Registrar or equivalent , for a specified project/assignment for a period not exceeding one year. The Officer is entitled to remuneration from both organisations . Following the Federal Government’s directive to exempt Universities from IPPIS, discussions are ongoing to firm up the details for smooth transition. 4

5. Types of Appointments contd.. (d) Transfer of Service: Officers can be transferred from one schedule organisation to another. This is usually done under the same guidelines as a fresh appointment into public service for junior and senior staff. (e) Secondment : Officers may move to other schedule organisations on secondment for an initial period of two years subject to an extension for a period not exceeding another two years. After the expiration of the extension(s), the officer must return to his /her parent organisation or seek for a permanent transfer to the other organisation. However, if it is in public interest , an officer may be transferred on secondment , for a longer period without the limit stipulated above. 5

6. ELIGIBILITY FOR RECRUITMENT A candidate is usually considered eligible into any of the MDAs if they satisfy the following conditions: Not below 18 or above 50 years of age Possess such minimum qualification for the post as may be specified from time to time, including computer literacy , for the post . Medical fitness Testimonial of good conduct from last employer, if previously employed, or from the last school attended. Free from financial embarrassment Not previously dismissed or forced to resign/retire from another government organisation Not currently employed by another organisation No previous conviction for a criminal offence 6

7. PROCEDURES FOR APPOINTMENTS The process es for appointment s into MDAs, which may vary from one MDA to the other depending on their Laws, is as follows: Availability and declaration of vacancy Internal/external advertisement Submission of applications by interested candidates Shortlisting, including approval by relevant Offices/Agencies (HOSCF/FCC/OAGF) Aptitude test s Interview s Offer of appointment to successful candidates Documentation Induction courses Posting to appropriate/ various units 7

8. VALIDITY OF APPOINTMENTS A ppointments are only considered valid if the required due process is complied with , availability of vacancy and compliance with Federal Character principle. All appointments into vacant posts shall only be valid if conveyed by a letter of appointment. followed by a written acceptance of the appointment by the candidate within a specified period upon receipt of the offer. The candidate also has a specified period within which to assume duty. Where the offer is not acceptable, the candidate can appeal to the approving authority seeking a review. The offer will be deemed to have lapsed, if after acceptance the candidate fails to assume duty after the specified period. DISQUALIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT An employee who is found to have deliberately withheld information on his/her eligibility shall, on discovery, be dismissed from service. 8

9. PROBATIONARY PERIOD The period, after appointment, during which a staff will be observed in terms of his /her character, fitness and competence to continue to be on that job is referred to as “probationary period”. All persons offered permanent appointment as staff of the Commission shall be on probation for two (2) years. “ Confirmation”, on the other hand, refers to an “attestation by the relevant appointing body that an employee has been found fit and competent both in terms of knowledge and conduct, to continue to occupy the post on which he was employed based on satisfactory performance during the period of probation”. All staff on CONTISS 07 and above, on first appointment shall sit and pass the confirmation examination before being considered for confirmation. Where the confirmation is deferred on grounds of competence/fitness : Deferred on grounds of competence/fitness, i. the Officer shall be informed of such a ground Such deferred confirmation shall be effective from the date the candidate satisfie s d the identified deficiency iii. The appointing authority may terminate the appointment of an officer on probation by issuing one month notice or payment of one month salary in lieu. 9

10. LEAVING THE SERVICE Exit from the services of any of the MDAs are usually in the following circumstances: Mandatory Retirement on reaching 60 years of age or 35 years in service except for judicial officers and academic staff of Nigerian universities Compulsory retirement of errant employees Voluntary resignation by employees who wish to leave the service for any reason Termination of appointment f o f r employees by the employer or by the employee s by giving three months notice Dismissal of an errant staff 10

11. ALLOWANCES Some monetary benefits, other than salaries, are usually given to staff for specific purposes as allowances. However, the monetisation policy of government has consolidated many of these allowances into the monthly salary of staff. Allowances that are still paid outside the consolidated salary include: Duty tour allowance Estacode allowance Call duty allowance/hazard etc Non-accident bonus for drivers and plant operators Responsibility allowance etc. 11

12. ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION REPORT The Annual Performance Evaluation Report ( APER) system is an annual evaluation procedure whereby employees’ work ethics, skills and capabilities are assessed for the suitability of promotion and training. It was adopted by the Nigerian Civil Service in 1974, following the recommendations of the Udoji Commission. It is an open reporting system for the appraisal of the performance of employees at the end of each calendar year. It gives a comprehensive record of his/her performance, conduct, capacity, capability and suitability on the job. It also makes recommendations on the officer’s readiness for promotion and training needs. The APER is being replaced with the Performance Management System (PMS), aimed at creating a digitally-driven culture of performance management. 12

13. STAFF DEVELOPMENT Policy( ies ) aimed at maintaining and enhancing the knowledge, skills, attitudes and effectiveness of staff to meet their career goals as well as preparing them for changing duties and responsibilities. Officers are encouraged to go on short and long term courses for personal development and improvement of their performance on the job. Only confirmed staff are eligible/ allowed to go on study leave Such study leave are granted under in different categories Category A : for courses considered essential for the duties of the employee. The employer takes full financial responsibility of the course and also pay the staff his full salary. Category B : for courses that considered beneficial but not crucial. The employer only pays the staff salary but not the cost of the study. If the employee secures external support for the course, this category is granted. Category C : for a course of study that is not relevant to the employee’s primary assignment, the officer is granted study leave without pay. The qualification acquired may not be considered for placement . 13

14. DISCIPLINE Discipline is the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behaviour , using punishment to correct disobedience/misconduct/infraction. Misconduct and Inefficiency are the two major offences that require disciplinary action in public service. Misconduct is an act of improper behaviour capable of bringing the image of office/ organisation to disrepute . Any act of misconduct must be such that can be investigated and, if proven, may lead to termination/retirement. E.g. Suppression or falsification of records Conviction on a criminal charge Withholding of files AWOL Serious financial impropriety etc 14

15. DISCIPLINE contd.. Other acts of misconduct include Drunkenness Insubordination Refusal to accept posting or transfer Unruly behaviour Assault Habitual truancy Disclosure of classified information Unauthorized removal of records etc. 15

16. DISCIPLINE contd.. The ultimate penalty for acts of serious misconduct is dismissal from service. Where a staff is dismissed as a penalty for misconduct and subject to the provisions of Pension Reform Act 2014 (as amended), (s) he forfeits all claims to retirement benefits, transport or leave grant etc. He/she is, however, entitled to his/her contributions in the RSA. When a staff is unable to perform his assigned responsibilities effectively, he is generally considered to be inefficient. 16

17. LEAVE Leave is the authorized absence of an officer from duty for specific period as provided for in the PSR. The various types of leave include: Annual Leave Casual Leave Maternity Leave Paternity Leave Sick Leave Study Leave Examination Leave Deferred Leave Sabbatical Leave Pre-retirement Leave Leave of Absence 17

18. LEAVE contd.. Leave on compassionate grounds Leave on grounds of urgent private affairs Leave for cultural and sporting activities Leave to take part in trade union activities. 18

19. PETITIONS/APPEALS An officer may write a formal letter of request petition to the head of his establishment to reconsider the decision already taken by an appropriate authority . O n the other hand, a petition is a formal complaint made by an officer to the head of his establishment for consideration of a matter that he feels personally affects him or is of interest to the public . Such petition must be submitted through the officer’s immediate supervisor, who is expected to forward the petition, including his/her comments, to the head of the establishment. An advance copy may be sent directly to the head of the establishment if the officer feels his immediate S upervisor is not likely to forward the petition to the head of the establishment. 19

20. VALIDITY OF PETITION/APPEAL The validity of any petition/appeal is contingent on the following conditions: Full name and address of the petitioner along with staff number and signature appended to the petition The petition must be written in clear and concise dictum It must go through the proper channels of delivery. 20

21. PENSION ADMINISTRATION Pension is a fund into which a sum of money is added during an employee’s employment years and from which payments are drawn to support the person’s retirement from work in the form of periodic payments. Salary is a fixed amount of money or compensation paid to an employee by an employer for work performed in fixed intervals of time usually monthly. The main deference between the two is , salary is paid while you are in service whereas pension is the money you have saved and is paid to you in installments after you have retired from active service, under qualifying conditions. 21

22. PENSION ADMINISTRATION contd Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) defines the benefit ahead of time: a monthly payment in retirement, based on the employee’s tenure and salary, for life. In the contributory pension scheme, the monthly benefit is not known, but the contributions of the employer and employee is known. Retirement Savings Account (RSA) is an account maintained for every employee in his name with any Pension Fund Administrator of his choice. Pension Fund Administrators (PFA) are fund managers licensed by the National Pension Commission ( Pencom ) to manage pension funds in accordance with the Pension Reform Act 2014 (as amended). Pension Fund Custodians are institutions licensed by Pencom to receive and hold pension assets. 22

23. PENSION ADMINISTRATION contd.. Next-of-kin is the officer’s closest living relative. Officers are required to fill a form that establishes who (s)he designates as his /her next-of-kin with complete contact details and the nature of their relationship. 23

24. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PENSION REFORM ACT 2004 AND 2014 The 2014 Act expanded the scope of participation of contributory pension scheme to include state and local governments It increased the rate of contribution to 12% for employers and 8% for employees from or 7.5% in both cases. It reviewed the number of employees of a private enterprise required to participate in the scheme from five persons to three. In the event of loss of job, employees can get access to their benefits within four months instead of six as stated in the 2004 Act. The provision to open a temporary RSA within three months of employment by the employer. 24

25. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PENSION REFORM ACT 2004 AND 2014 contd … It also reviewed upwardly the penalties and sanctions of defaulters and employers thereby increasing safety and assurance of employees. PENCOM is now empowered to more proactive corrective measures against licensed operators in order to fortify pension assets against mismanagement and/or systemic risks. It can also institute criminal proceedings against employers that refuse to remit pension contributions There is no qualifying period for pension . If an employee works for an employer for one month, his pension contribution will be paid by the employer into the employee's Retirement Savings Account (RSA) for that month. 25

26. CONCLUSION The foregoing is glimpse into the most important parts of the PSR. However, its incumbent on all of you to be as conversant with the PSR as possible. The rules are not sacrosanct but amenable to changes as the need arises. Therefore , the ability to discern when those changes are due is contingent on you performing duties and advising the service of the needs of both the government and the people. Thank you. 26