BY RITA OYIBOKA
THE Chairman, Delta State Civil Service Commission (CSC), Noble Roseline Amioku, has reaffirmed that promotion in the state civil service is not a right but a privilege that must be earned through competence hard work, and knowledge of the job. She made the remark at the commission’s headquarters, yesterday, during the presentation of the report on the October 2025 Refresher Course and Compulsory Promotion Examination conducted for officers on salary grade levels 05 to 10 in the state civil service.
Speaking at the occasion, Amioku commended the steady improvement of the exercise and emphasised the Commission’s commitment to upholding merit and integrity in staff promotion. She, however, expressed concern over the poor writing abilities of some officers, noting that the ongoing staff verification had revealed that some employees lacked even the most basic educational qualifications.
“I hear complaints that some officers don’t write well. Some of them didn’t even go to school at all. It’s a problem for us because they don’t know what to write or say. But that’s not an excuse, as long as they are in service, they must do the needful,” she said. The Chairman further stressed the importance of the Public Service Rules as a guiding document for all officers and promised to work with relevant offices to ensure adequate distribution. “Every civil servant must have a copy. If they don’t know the rules, they won’t know what to write or how to act,” she noted.
On attendance and performance, Amioku warned that the Commission would no longer tolerate officers who fail to take the refresher courses seriously. “Some only come, collect materials, and disappear,” she said. “If you cannot score at least 40 per cent, it’s unfortunate. Promotion is not automatic. This exam is meant to determine who is truly qualified to move up.” She also charged invigilators to remain vigilant and report any misconduct or malpractice during examinations, adding that such reports would help the Commission strengthen future exercises.
Presenting the detailed report, Chairman of the Consulting Team, Sir Okey Ofili, disclosed that 502 officers participated in the 2025 exercise, which began with a refresher course on October 10, 2025, at the Association of Senior Civil Servants Hall, Asaba, and continued with the promotion examination on October 11, 2025.
Ofili revealed that 372 officers, representing 74 per cent, scored above 50 per cent, while 130 scored below 50 per cent. “Our expectation that this examination would be a walkover for all graduate officers has yet to be realised,” he said. “It’s concerning that some graduates barely managed to score 40 marks.”
He identified recurring issues such as poor adherence to exam instructions, submission of incomplete or blank scripts, and isolated instances of copying among officers. However, he also commended the majority of participants for their commitment and commendable performance.
The consulting team recommended stronger supervision, improved invigilation reporting, and better access to key materials such as the Public Service Rules and Financial Regulations.
In his remark, the Permanent Secretary, Civil Service Commission, Mr Fredrick Yoro, commended the state government for approving funds for the exercise, as well as the commission’s leadership and the consulting team for their thorough work. He assured that the recommendations would be reviewed and implemented to further enhance efficiency in the Delta State Civil Service.
