A pressure group, the Bayelsa First Initiative, BFI, has criticised the decision of Governor Seriake Dickson to extend the appointment of Head of Service of Bayelsa State, Peter Singabele, by six months with effect from 16 June 2016.

The BFI in a statement signed by Nathan Egba, its director-general, accused Dickson of manipulating public institutions and policies for his personal interest.

Serena Dokubo-Spiff, Secretary to the State Government, SSG, had in a statement on Monday, June 20, announced the governor’s approval of the elongation of the tenure of the HOS.

The BFI said it was worried as to why the governor would extend the services of the HOS after he had attained the mandatory retirement age of 60 or 35 years in service, even when there were competent civil servants in the state that could occupy the office.

“From the foregoing therefore, we are at a loss as to the basis for the decision to further extend Peter Singabele’s appointment as Head of Service after he had clocked the mandatory retirement age of 60 years or 35 years in service,” the statement reads.

“We in the BFI do not doubt Singabele’s integrity or capacity. If anything, we applaud his meritorious service to the state, but we do not believe that there is no other civil servant qualified enough to occupy that exalted office in the entire Bayelsa State civil service.

“If however, the governor’s claim that Singabele needed to be around to complete the reorganisation of the civil service is true, then we advise that he be given an appropriate political appointment that will empower him to complete that assignment and perhaps carry out other ones too.”

The BFI said the governor’s action was “in line with his penchant for manipulating government institutions and policies for his personal interest.”

“We remember vividly his unfortunate decision to sack the Head of Service he met, who was barely a year in office ostensibly because she was not the most senior Permanent Secretary at the time of her appointment by his predecessor in office, Chief Timipre Sylva.

“So then, why is he now suddenly bending the rules by not wanting to appoint the next most senior Permanent Secretary to the position of Head of Service?” the group queried.

The BFI therefore wants the governor  to rescind the decision to elongate the HOS’s stay in office so as to avoid setting a bad precedence and weakening the morale of civil servant.