According to the Public Service Rules number 100238, Shu’ara should be retired on February 17 after attaining the age of 60. But the government insisted that she would still be in office for another year, thereby creating tension in the ministry.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has opposed the extension of Shu'ara's tenure.
Secretary-General of ASCSN, Mr. Alade Lawal, told The PUNCH on Wednesday, “The so-called extension of retirement period of Mrs. Shu’ara for another year came to us as a big surprise. It is a rude shock and we least expected it. The development is dangerous and it is highly condemnable. With the sort of respect we have for this administration, we least expect this level of impunity to be factored into public administration. Are we saying this woman is indispensable? The answer is no.”
Reports say union leaders and senior officers in the ministry were ready for a showdown with the government over what the leadership of the unions described as “a time bomb”.
Punch