Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has announced banned civil, and public servants in the state from overseas study, involving courses that are available in Nigerian universities.
The directive, aimed at curbing the misuse of overseas study leave, was issued in a circular by the Delta State Civil Service Commission on Thursday.
According to the circular signed by the Commission’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Frederick Yoro, the state government has observed an increasing number of officers using overseas study leave approvals as a means to evade their duties.
The circular accused some officers of traveling abroad for studies, and never returning back to the country, while others resign without fulfilling their contractual obligations.
“To address this issue, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has directed that civil servants seeking study leave must enroll in Nigerian institutions if the course of study is available locally. Additionally, officers granted study leave abroad will no longer receive salaries during their period of study,” the circular stated.
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Other measures as contained in the circular, include stricter screening of overseas study leave applications, to ensure alignment with the state’s developmental needs, mandatory bond agreements requiring officers to return, and serve the state for a specified period, and the submission of annual progress reports by those on study leave.
The circular also stated that senior officials in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), would be held responsible for enforcing these directives, and could face penalties for unearned salaries paid to non-compliant officers.
The state government emphasized that these measures are necessary to maintain discipline, and ensure that public servants contribute effectively to the state’s development.