Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has warned that worry of career reprisals can stop civil servants from giving sincere recommendation to political leaders, probably exposing them to expensive errors.
Mustapha mentioned officers who feared that talking frankly might jeopardise their careers may resort to telling leaders what they needed to listen to quite than offering the skilled steering wanted for efficient governance.
“Where officers fear that honest advice will cost them their careers, they may offer comfortable advice instead. A service that cannot speak truth to power cannot protect power from its own mistakes,” he mentioned.
He spoke on Wednesday in Abuja whereas delivering the keynote tackle on the 2026 colloquium of the Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries and Heads of the Civil Service of the Federation (CORFEPS), themed “Navigating the Headwinds of Governance: Centrality of the Civil Service”.
Mustapha, who served as SGF from 2017 to 2023, mentioned the energy of the civil service lay not in agreeing with political authorities however in its means to supply candid recommendation, implement lawful selections and account transparently for outcomes.
He mentioned skilled independence was important to efficient governance, stressing that civil servants ought to have the ability to determine dangers, current proof and clarify the probably prices and penalties of coverage selections with out worry.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who opened the colloquium, additionally highlighted the necessity for a constructive relationship between political leaders and career civil servants.
He mentioned public servants should uphold impartiality, integrity and accountable administration of public sources, whereas political leaders ought to respect skilled requirements, worth frank recommendation and supply the readability, sources and authority required to implement insurance policies.
Represented by Sadiq Wanka, a Special Adviser to the President on Power Infrastructure, Shettima mentioned the Federal Government was shifting its focus from the quantity of insurance policies introduced and committees inaugurated as to whether interventions resolve issues and enhance residents’ lives.
CORFEPS National Chairman, Yayale Ahmed, mentioned retired senior public servants had a duty to make their amassed expertise out there to succeeding generations and contribute to stronger public administration.
The colloquium additionally featured the revealing of the CORFEPS Journal on Public Policy and Governance, supposed to doc administrative expertise, protect institutional reminiscence and promote evidence-based policymaking.
On his half, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Olumuyiwa Enitan Abel, mentioned ongoing reforms had been aimed toward constructing an environment friendly, productive and citizen-centred service, stressing, nevertheless, that the “effectiveness of governance depends significantly on the ability of the Civil Service to advise objectively, implement policies efficiently and remain accountable to the citizens it serves.”
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