Oyo State Local Government Commission

• To appoint persons to offices on salary grade levels 07 and above in the Local Government Service;
• To set up general uniform standards/guidelines for appointments, promotions, posting and discipline of Local Government Staff;
• To transfer/post persons holding those offices in sub-section (i) from one Local Government to another equitably;
• To exercise disciplinary control over persons holding those offices, if found culpable of any serious act of misconduct;
• To serve as an appellate body for all petitions in respect of junior staff in the Local Government;
• To monitor the activities of each Local Government on appointment, discipline and promotion of Local Government junior employees on salary Grade Levels 01-06, in order to ensure that laid down rules, regulations and guidelines are strictly and uniformly adhered to;
• To maintain comprehensive and up-to-date seniority lists and nominal rolls of Local Government staff; and
• To utilize one percent (1%) of the revenue accruing to Local Governments in the State from the Federation Account for regular training courses and manpower development of officers in the Local Government Service of the State.

The Local Government Service Commission came into being through the provisions of Section 94 of the Local Government Law of 1957. It was known as Local Government Service Board then. The Board was empowered to deal with the appointment, posting, transfer, promotion and discipline of persons holding declared post enumerated in Western Region Law of Nigeria (WRLN) 315 of 1957 and contained in Gazette No. 51 of 24th October, 1957 and WRLN 229 of 1958.

The Local Government Service Commission, being a service agency of the State Government was encapsulated in Section 78, Cap 66 of the Local Government Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 1978. Since then its name was known as the Local Government Service Commission or the Commission. The 1979 constitution also gave recognition to its existence.

Sometimes during the regime of Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, all the Local Government Service Commissions throughout the Federation were abrogated. But due to hues and cries, the Federal Military Government resuscitated the Commissions through circular letter No. VP 923/Vol. II of 15th July, 1992. This was in view of the felt need to protect career Local Government officials from the buffeting of partisan politics, thus ensuring the maximum utilization of the scarce high caliber manpower resources through the maintenance of the Unified Local Government Service, while at the same time be at a position to attract and retain capable hands in the Local Government Service. The Commission is statutorily accorded recognition by the various editions of the Oyo State Laws of Nigeria.

The achievements recorded by the Commission in the last nine years i.e. 2011 till date can be categorized under the following sub-headings:

Staff Training and Manpower Development

Part of the Commission’s major statutory duties is to organize short term workshops/seminars/courses for officers in the Local Government Service in order to enhance the service delivery capacity and potentials of these officers who cut across various cadres, ranks and posts in the eight (8) major departments in the Service. It is gratifying to report that between 4th November, 2011 when the then Board of the Commission was constituted till date, over 12,000 officers spread across all cadres in the service were trained. This feat is unprecedented in the history of the Commission given the magnitude of the participants and the positive impact of the training on their service delivery capacity.

In addition to this role, the Commission had until lately granted approvals to officers interested in embarking on long term training programmes in various institutions of higher learning in and outside the country in order to improve their knowledge and intellectual capacity for better performance of their official duties in their various cadres.

However, having observed that this privilege had been abused by a significant number of officers in the Service, the Commission promptly adopted a new policy guideline on In-Service Training programmes in the Local Government Service of the State which among other things, specified the right and power of the Commission to identify the training needs of all its staff and approve their release for any training programme. This is a clear departure from the previous practice whereby officers looked for admission on their own and later applied for sponsorship and release.

In a bid to ensure that members of the Service aspiring to embark on long term training programmes are not unnecessarily delayed and denied of their right to self improvement while in the Local Government Service, the Commission also reduced the waiting period required for qualification for In-Service Training programmes from five (5) years to two (2) years by which time an officer must have been confirmed in a pensionable appointment.

Fresh Appointments

In view of the current embargo on employment by the State Government, appointments of officers into the Service are considered on exigencies of duty based on vacancies existing in the relevant cadres which are subject to the approval of the Executive Governor of the State.

Appointment of Heads of Local Government Administration

In line with the Transformation Agenda of the present administration in the State and as part of the efforts by the State Government to reposition the Local Government on the path of efficiency and improved service delivery, the Commission recorded another land-mark achievement through the appointment of some officers on substantive Grade Level 16 as Heads of Local Government Administration, which is GL.17. The appointment of the officers in August, 2012 was sequel to their success in the qualifying examinations and interview conducted for them by the Commission.

Furthermore, due to the creation of new Local Council Development Areas from the Existing Local Government Areas, the need arose to appoint 35 Council Managers, later known as acting heads of local government administration (ag. HLGAs), into the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), to coordinate the activities of these development areas. Consequently, other vital appointments were made to fill the vacancies of heads of department in the eight departments which exist at the Local Government level in the State; and other duty posts.

Following the retirement of 24 Heads of Local Government Administration in the Local Government Service, His Excellency recently approved the appointment of 24 officers to fill the vacancies. The newly appointed Heads of Local Government Administration had thus been given their letters of appointment as substantive Heads of Local Government Administration.

Appointment of People Living with Disabilities

It is also on records that 66 people living with disabilities (PWDs) were employed into various cadres in the Local Government Service following the approval of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Oyo State. The affected officers had since settled down well in their duty stations thus removing the age long tradition of regarding people with disabilities as liabilities to the society.

Appointment of Medical Laboratory Scientists / Technologists

In addition to the above, 63 Medical Laboratory Scientists were recruited into the service to boost the Primary Health Care delivery at the grassroots. The engaged officers had been posted to the 33 Local Governments on equitable basis.

In an attempt to create a dynamic and service oriented workforce which can respond to the challenges of the modern day Public Service, the Commission, acting on the directive of the State Government, conducted verification exercise for all categories of officers in the Local Government Service in the year 2012. The screening exercise culminated in the disengagement of a sizeable number of officers from the Service on various grounds such as stagnation, old age, falsification of records, incompetence etc.

However, based on the magnanimity of the Executive Governor, about 40% of 1,154 officers disengaged from the Service who appealed against the decision of Government and whose appeals were found to be genuine, were reinstated in to the Service thereby lending credence to the position of government that the repositioning of the entire Public Service of the State was not intended to witch hunt any worker as insinuated in some quarters.
Similarly, due to the magnanimity of the present governor of the state, Engr. Seyi Makinde, some of the workers unjustifiably relieved of their duties by the immediate past administration, were reinstated back into both the State service and the local government The affected officers have so far been given their letters of reinstatement and have resumed at their duty posts.

In an attempt to create a dynamic and service oriented workforce which can respond to the challenges of the modern day Public Service, the Commission, acting on the directive of the State Government, conducted verification exercise for all categories of officers in the Local Government Service in the year 2012. The screening exercise culminated in the disengagement of a sizeable number of officers from the Service on various grounds such as stagnation, old age, falsification of records, incompetence etc.

However, based on the magnanimity of the Executive Governor, about 40% of 1,154 officers disengaged from the Service who appealed against the decision of Government and whose appeals were found to be genuine, were reinstated in to the Service thereby lending credence to the position of government that the repositioning of the entire Public Service of the State was not intended to witch hunt any worker as insinuated in some quarters.
Similarly, due to the magnanimity of the present governor of the state, Engr. Seyi Makinde, some of the workers unjustifiably relieved of their duties by the immediate past administration, were reinstated back into both the State service and the local government The affected officers have so far been given their letters of reinstatement and have resumed at their duty posts.

ADVANCEMENT

During the period under consideration, the Commission granted advancement to 123 deserving officers in the Unified Local Government Service of Oyo State as a way of motivating them for improved productivity.

CONVERSION

During the period under reference, the Commission converted 64 officers to Administrative Officer Cadre based on their success in the organised competitive selection processes in form of qualifying Public Service examination and Extended/Commissioners’ Interviews.

In a like manner, qualifying examinations and selection interviews were conducted for eligible officers seeking conversion from the Sub-Professional cadres to the Core Professional cadres, as well as those seeking transfer from one Sub-Professional cadre to the other in the Local Government Service. It is on records that a total number of six hundred and forty-three (643) officers were converted/upgraded from one cadre/post to another in year 2014.

In order to ensure the development of all round officers and prevent sit tight syndrome in the Local Government Service, the Commission carried out the posting of officers on Grade Level 07 and above across the 33 Local Governments in the State in year 2012/2013. This achievement was unprecedented in the history of the Local Government Service as officers who had stayed at a particular station for more than three years were transferred to other neighbouring Local Governments so as to prevent any untoward effect on the families of the affected officers.

In 2014, the Board of the Commission undertook an inspection tour of the 33 Local Governments in the State in order to monitor the general performance of staff and to endear them with the policies and programmes of government with the overall objective of getting their cooperation and support for the successful execution of these policies and programmes.

The current substantive Permanent Secretary of the Commission, Mr. Akin Funmilayo, was appointed by His Excellency on Tuesday, 16th July, 2019, to the retirement of the immediate past acting Permanent Secretary, Pastor A. A. Jimoh, who attained the mandatory retirement age of 60 years on 13th July, 2019. Mr. Akin Funmilayo’s appointment was however confirmed and subsequently sworn in on Thursday, 15th August, 2019, a month after assumption of office. Mr. Akin Funmilayo’s confirmation of appointment broke the jinx of acting permanent secretaries (in three successions) at the Commission.

The Commission is equally grateful to His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde, for appointing new Board Members, comprising Dr. Remi Ayodele (Chairman), Hon. Oyesina Oyedeji (Full Time Commissioner), Hon Akeem Taiwo Oke (Full Time Commissioner), Hon. John Adisa-Oke (Member), and Hon. Nike Arewa (Member).

It is worthy of note that the successes recorded by the Commission so far would not have been possible without the moral support of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Oyo State, whose pragmatic approach to the repositioning of the entire Public Service of the State has been responsible for the improved image of the Local Government Service of the State.

Similarly, the wealth of experience of the present Board of the Commission which was made up of seasoned and accomplished administrators in both public and private set-up has served as impetus to the present efforts of the Commission at placing the Local Government Service on a higher pedestal, while the resuscitation of training and retraining of unified personnel in the Local Government Service, which is one of the core mandates of the Commission, is equally appreciated.

(SGD)

Akin Funmilayo

Permanent Secretary,

Local Government Service Commission.
(2020).