How Obasanjo, IBB crippled civil service in Nigeria – Elders statesman, Inaolaji

An elder statesman, Mr Moses Inaolaji has berated the military
administrations of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and self-styled military
president, General Ibrahim Babangida for total polarisation and
politicisation of the civil service.


He said while Obasanjo in 1976 introduced a lopsided policy that
slowed down advancement and effectiveness in the civil service,
Babangida eroded it's integrity and firmness, thereby making the civil
service largely corrupt.

Inaolaji stated this while addressing the press on behalf of the
Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries on
the forthcoming launching of a book written by the association in
Osogbo, the Osun State capital on Thursday.


He said the civil service, which is supposed to be the virile
instrument to implement governmental policies was practically made
inefficient, corrupt and terribly dormant by the military.

The retired Permanent Secretary in Osun averred that the desperate
tendencies among some civil servants to shortchange the system to
their advantage was caused by the uncertainty brought to the system by
the military.

According to him, the civil service in the post-independence era was
so robust and efficient with avalanche of committed officials
implementing governmental policies to the letter and with patriotic
zeal.


"The civil service, before the incursion of the military was so
effective and efficient, it was playing it's role as the engine room
of the government so perfectly and patriotically.

"The civil service in the South West especially was a cynosure of all
eyes in the entire country, we used to sleep in the office for us to
achieve our set down goals; we worked as a team and with total
commitment.

"It was Obasanjo, who first came and lumped up the structure and made
it ineffective, followed by Babangida, who polarised and polluted the
service with nepotism, favouritism, and high level of corruption.

"No nation rises against the quality and vibrancy of its civil
service, the ineffective civil service remains a bane to development.

" These and many more are what we are addressing in our book tiled "
The Civil Service as a Cornerstone for Development in Osun State: The
first 25 years" , sets to be launched on June 21. Although, we are
retired, we are still not tired to contribute our quotas to the
development of our state, and Nigeria at large" Inaolaji said.

The elder statesman however canvassed for neutrality on the part of
civil servants, arguing that civil servants have no business in
politics while still in the office.