Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has warned civil servants against indulging in politics and other unethical practices inimical to the growth of the vibrant service.

Mohammed gave the warning when he received the report of a committee mandated to screen eligible civil servants due for appointment as Permanent Secretaries.

He said his administration would form a committee that would critically study the report for proper and immediate implementation, saying: “We would ensure equal representation on all our subsequent appointments.

“We will never compromise merit and capacity for a result-oriented civil service.

“Career progression ought to be guided by excellence and merit not sectional, religious, or political considerations,” he said.

The governor said the civil service was characterized by mismanagement of processes and procedures as well as violation of service rules.

Mohammed said that his administration had adopted proactive measures to reinvent the civil service in the state.

The governor who decried the prevalence of ghost workers in the state said the trend was a common denominator in the civil service.

“Our administration will adhere to the extant rules guiding the service for justice and fair play.

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“Bureaucracy in those days serves as a unifying force but those practices have been replaced by sentiments and selfish interests,” he said.

In his remarks, Alhaji Gambo Magaji, Chairman of the committee, said the committee had dutifully discharged its assignment with commitment, dedication, and fear of God.

Magaji identified politicization of the civil service, nepotism, lack of capacity-building training, favoritism, and poor method of evaluating performances as some of the bane affecting the service in the state.

He said the committee had screened many directors and conducted a competency test on them, adding that the scores of each of the candidates were captured in the report for consideration.