PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said that the nation’s Civil Service is not a dumping ground for job seekers, noting that it attracts the best and the brightest that would contribute fresh ideas toward solving Nigeria’s socio-economic problems.

This was even as he directed that the Orosanye White Paper Report be subjected to immediate review to enable the government to take the most appropriate decision on its general recommendation.

President Buhari spoke when he received members of the Central Working Committee of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) at the State House, Abuja, affirming the administration’s focus on strengthening the service to help the government fulfil its objectives.

He noted that the public service remains the engine room of government and should therefore attract the “best and brightest” that would fuel policies with fresh ideas while assuring that the Orosanye White Paper Report would be implemented after review.

“I am aware that the review is about to be completed. While some may complain about the length of time it has taken thus far, the outcome of the various review teams would lead to some fundamental changes in the structure of our Civil Service and as such it must be subjected to rigorous review and scrutiny before presentation and implementation,” he added.

The President further directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, to submit the harmonised white paper once it is concluded, assuring that his government was determined to strengthen the Service and ensure it helps the government to fulfil its objectives.

While appreciating civil servants for their role in realising targets of the administration, President Buhari noted that a strong Civil Service was the bedrock on which good governance, policy execution and pathways for the delivery of democratic dividends could be achieved.

“I am further delighted to note your acknowledgement of the giant strides this administration has made since its inception in repositioning the Federal Civil Service for greater productivity and enhanced performance. I take note of the various milestone achievements you have listed, which symbolises our commitment to the Civil Service in spite of the many challenges that we encountered from the beginning of this journey,” he said.

On request for salary review for civil servants by the committee, the President acknowledged the urgent need for such due to worldwide problems of high inflation amidst general economic disruption.

“However, I wish to urge you to appreciate the revenue constraints being presently faced by the government which are caused mainly by the activities of unscrupulous citizens through the theft of our crude oil, a major contributor to our revenue base.

“This is compounded by the global economic downturn as a result of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war, which has led to price increases not just in the costs of goods and services globally, but also in the transportation of these goods and services across the globe.

“You are also aware of the enormous burden placed on our finances by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Furthermore, let me note the significant investment we have had to make in security over the last seven years, which means other sectors of the economy have not been able to receive as much funding as we would have liked. Only when our country is secured that we able to proceed and take on other aspects of our economic challenges,’’ he added.

President Buhari explained that investment in security assets had been at a huge cost after several decades of negligence.

He added: “However, my confidence in the Nigerian Armed Forces is unshaken, and I have tasked the Chief of Defence Staff and his service chiefs to take the war to these criminals who have made life difficult for many Nigerians.”

“Recent reports have shown the message is now being heard and the dividends of our seven years of investments are now maturing. I implore our forces to continue with the current effort and determination until we rid our land of these miscreants.

“I also wish to reiterate that we will not allow a few criminals to have unfettered access to the nation’s crude oil supply hence I have directed our security agencies to speedily bring to a halt the activities of these vandals in the Niger Delta.”