Public Service : Disturbing Abandonment Of Posts!

On January 17, 2024, the Minister of Secondary Education informed the general public and staff of the Ministry in particular, that the analysis of the data collected from the various denunciations revealed that 2,326 personnel are actually in a position of irregular absence. Consequently, the salaries of these personnel who could not justify their administrative position have been temporarily suspended, in accordance with the instructions of the President of the Republic, on the phenomenon of desertion of duty posts by some State employees. This is just one out of the many press releases published by different ministerial departments on civil servants who have reportedly abandoned their duty posts, with no just cause. Such run- away workers do not only dupe the government, but those who directly need their service such as the population in different domains. 
The recent number of personal of the teaching profession abandoning their duty post is just a tip of the iceberg of the problem. The entire public service is affected by the phenomenon. The incident is not only alarming, but becoming more recurrent, seeking special attention and solution. Almost everybody seeks to obtain a place in the public service. But, the rate at which State agents abandon their duty posts for greener pastures directly contradicts the “do or die” deals that usually characterise the recruitment operations into the public schools. The phenomenon obstructs the smooth functioning of the public service as those who are expected to perform specific tasks are not on duty, but receive pay for a job they are not performing.
Within a short period, several government Ministers have signed public announcements calling on civil servants who have abandoned their duty post to report immediately or face disciplinary measures. On October 23, 2023, the Minister of Secondary Education signed a press release concerning 1,571 personnel of the Ministry who had reportedly abandoned their duty posts without any concrete reason. On September 12, 2022, the Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, Joseph LE, also called on all staff in his ministerial department to be punctual and diligent at their jobsite. According to the Minister, there have recently been cases of absenteeism as demonstrated by certain staff in the central and regional servi...