Amid Rising Anxiety, FG Says No Mass Sack of Workers with Degrees from Benin, Togo

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Federal Civil Service Commission has denied the claim of the mass sack of workers who obtained their degrees from Benin Republic, and Togo.

Some federal civil servants at the weekend were gripped with fear over the security of their jobs following claims that the government had started weeding out those who obtained their degree certificates from unrecognised universities in the two countries.

The situation was heightened by a post on the verified X (formerly Twitter) handle of former Senator Shehu Sani, who decried the alleged sack of the affected civil servants. 

Senator Sani wrote, “Thousands of guys who graduated from the Benin Republic universities, got jobs and married with kids are the ones hardest hit with this mass sacking by the FG. I appeal to the government to reconsider the sacking by creating an opening for them to make up with a Nigerian degree through the open university system.”

But speaking through the Head of Press and Media Relations, Taiwo Hassan, the Head of the Civil Service Commission, denied any current mass disengagement within the civil service, emphasising that the Commission had not received any formal recommendation for such action.

“At our end, there is no disengagement for now. They have to push it to us, or maybe when they get to us, there’s another round of sitting to look at it,” the official explained.

“At times, they can invite those people involved. You know the procedures. So, if they recommend that from where it’s coming from, we will consider it.”

The commission further reiterated its statutory role, stating, “The commission holds the power to employ, transfer, dismiss, discipline, and promote. If you ask me if we are dismissing now, I will say no.

“We have not dismissed anybody, and this is based on what I know at this moment. Disengagement is not something hidden.” 

Recall that earlier this year, a panel was set up by the former Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, to investigate the degree mills allegedly operating from some neighbouring African countries.
The panel, headed by Prof. Jubril Aminu, came out with the report that over 22,000 fake certificates were obtained by Nigerians from unrecognised universities in Benin and Togo, particularly between 2019 and 2023.

While commenting on the report of the panel, Mamman stated that a circular had been prepared from the Office of Head of Service of the Federation that would enable the government to fish out the people for prosecution.