Mr Louis Edozien was removed as Executive Director, Technical Services at the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) in 2014 for presenting neither discharge nor exemption certificate from National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The anomalies in Edozien’s credentials were exposed in a report by Mrs. Maryam Danna Mohammed, who was NDPHC’s General Manager (Audit and Compliance).
Others sacked from NDPHC for not presenting their NYSC certificates or evidence of exemption based on that report submitted in 2013, were Mr Anthony U. Muoneke (Executive Director, Finance and Administration); and Miss Ije Onejeme, (General Manager, Contract Management).
The NDPHC, a Federal Government enterprise, was established in 2005 to serve as the legal vehicle to contract for, hold, manage and operate the assets of Nigerian Independent Power Project (NIPP).
But while Edozien found his way back as Permanent Secretary, Power, in November 2015, Mrs Mohammed was disengaged in 2016.
Beside his stint at NDPHC, Edozien did not work in the civil service all his life.
Sources told Daily Trust that Edozien was appointed permanent secretary in spite of the recommendations of the security agencies especially the DSS, adding that highly placed officials in the presidency facilitated the process.
On the NYSC certificate issue, one of the officials said it was not a criterion for appointment as a permanent secretary. “Unlike the last exercise which involved written examination conducted by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, those done earlier were at the prerogative of Mr President,” one of the sources said.
However, a serving permanent secretary, who does not want to be quoted, wondered how a non-career civil servant, sacked from a government agency for failure to produce NYSC discharge certificate or certificate of exemption, could later be considered to occupy the highest position in civil service.
“Something is fundamentally wrong; the civil service rule is unambiguous; it says if you are a graduate and do not have NYSC certificate, you cannot work in government. Even the private sector is not expected to flout this rule,” he said.
Daily Trust reports that the one-year NYSC scheme is mandatory for graduates under 30, while those above receive exemption certificates. Those who served in the Armed Forces or the Nigeria Police Force for more than nine months are also exempted.
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