The primary focus of the forty fourth National Council and Annual Conference of Civil Service Commissions, which took place in Umuahia, Abia State, this week, was the renewed demand for strict enforcement of birth record verification throughout Nigeria’s public service. Delegates attending the conference called upon the National Council of Civil Service Commissions to implement firm regulations against public servants presenting forged or multiple birth certificates. The appeal, submitted by the Imo State Civil Service Commission, highlighted increasing worries about inaccuracies in dates of birth recorded by some officers during their work progression at the federal, state, and local government tiers. Permanent Secretary of the Imo State Civil Service Commission, Evans Iroanya, presented the proposal, arguing that the manipulation of personal records has undermined professionalism and efficiency in the civil service. He noted that this practice often allows individuals to overstay in service, which limits opportunities for younger professionals and slows down institutional renewal. Iroanya stressed that a clear and enforceable system would discourage falsification, ensure timely retirement, create vacancies for new entrants, and promote integrity in workforce management. He emphasized that birth certificates issued by the National Population Commission and recognized hospitals should be the standard documents for recruitment, and that any public servant found to have altered or used multiple dates of birth should face dismissal and prosecution. Permanent Secretary of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Phillip Ebiogeh, responded by explaining that declarations of age are still acceptable in the service. This is due to the fact that many hospitals still lack digital record keeping systems. He added that incidents like fire or flooding could destroy original hospital documents, making age declarations a necessary alternative in certain situations.
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