The renewed call for strict enforcement of birth record verification throughout Nigeria’s public service was the main topic at the forty fourth National Council and Annual Conference of Civil Service Commissions in Umuahia, Abia State, this week. Delegates at the meeting urged the National Council of Civil Service Commissions to adopt strong rules against public servants presenting forged or multiple birth certificates. The request, submitted by the Imo State Civil Service Commission, highlighted growing concerns over inaccuracies in dates of birth recorded by some officers as they advanced in their careers at the federal, state, and local government levels. The Permanent Secretary of the Imo State Civil Service Commission, Evans Iroanya, presented the proposal, stating that manipulating personal records has long hurt professionalism and efficiency in the civil service. He observed that this action often permits individuals to stay in service too long, which limits chances for younger professionals and slows down the updating of institutions. Iroanya stressed that a clear and enforceable plan would discourage false information, ensure timely retirement, create job openings for new staff, and promote honesty in managing the public workforce. He emphasized that birth certificates provided by the National Population Commission and recognized hospitals should be the official documents for hiring, and that any public servant who has changed or used multiple dates of birth should face dismissal and legal action. In response to the proposal, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Phillip Ebiogeh, explained that declarations of age are still acceptable because many hospitals still lack digital record keeping systems. He added that incidents such as fire or flooding could destroy original hospital documents, making age declarations a necessary substitute in certain situations.
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