Ahmed Audi, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, claimed on Wednesday that low morale was caused by the staff members’ gradual promotions.
He promised his men regular promotions, nevertheless, and claimed he had been able to reverse the trend.
Speaking during the decoration of recently promoted Assistant Commandants General and Commandants of Corps who were recently promoted by the Federal Government, Audi made this revelation at the NSCDC headquarters in Abuja.
He pointed out that personnel indiscipline and low morale have resulted from sluggish promotion.
“It has been documented that, prior to my appointment, stagnation at all levels of the service has resulted in low staff morale, increased indiscipline, and a loss of faith in the system due to perceived unfairness and an uncontrolled advancement trajectory,” he stated.
Furthermore, the Corps lacked established guidelines for evaluating employee performance and advancing a member’s career. Thus, I made the decision to use the opportunity to rectify this anomaly by guaranteeing that staff members receive regular promotions in order to increase their morale when it was at its lowest point.
There was a period of eight, ten or even twelve years of stagnation. One deputy commandant served for thirteen of those years. This is incredibly unjust. It is not the case that they have not been passing exams, but that is a huge injustice.
According to Audi, there were instances in which juniors were given preference over seniors because of “some special CG lists,” which he promptly revoked upon joining the team.
“Faced with this obstacle, I pledged to rectify the noted irregularities, particularly in the advancement of officers and men, as well as the matter of professional advancement, and I can declare with a feeling of honour, accountability, and dignity that I have adhered to my commitment,” he said.
“Our recent promotion process, from which over 21,000 employees benefited, is a great testament to our dedication to putting words into deeds. The experiment was a significant divergence from earlier experiences and unheard of in the Service’s history.
Audi gave everyone confidence that the Corps’ period of stagnation was over and pledged to keep things moving at the same pace in order to give employees a strong motivation, positive morale, and a fulfilling work environment.
He urged all decorated officers to view their promotion as an opportunity for more responsibility and to step up their dedication and output.
He said, “It is equally expected to reflect in increased loyalty as well as job efficiency, effectiveness, and dedication.”
In staff promotions based on merit, the NSCDC CG promised to uphold consistency, uniformity, justice, and impartiality.