There is palpable uneasiness in the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) over failure of the Corps Marshal of the Commission, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, to proceed on his pre-retirement leave in accordance with Civil Service rules.
Oyeyemi was born on November 26, 1960 in Ibadan, Oyo State, and will be 60 years next month.
Unlike other previous Corps Marshals, Oyeyemi is the first to be appointed from within the agency. He joined FRSC as “two star” officer in 1988 and rose to become Corps Marshal in 2014 following the appointment of Osita Chidoka as Minister.
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But the Corps Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, said Oyeyemi is a “tenure-based person” appointed by the Presidency and, therefore, is not expected to retire based on age or length of Service. Staff of the Commission said they expect the Corp Marshal to vacate office on November 25, a day before he turns 60 years of age.
“He is due to retire on account of age by November 25. The service rules say the next most senior will succeed him. But our Act on appointment (of Corps Marshal) is at the mercy of the President,” an official revealed. Deputy Corps Marshall, Mrs. Ojeme Ewrhudjakpor, who is the next in Command, is expected to act if Oyeyemi retires next month pending the appointment of substantive Corps Marshal by the Presidency.
Oyeyemi is also accused of withholding staff promotions even after they passed the prescribed interviews. According to the source, “Promotion is generally delayed for what I don’t know. Fresh graduates stay up to five years before going to the next grade. Others stay a minimum of four years as opposed to civil service rule which prescribed three years from level 08 to 15, while waiting period of 15 and above is four years.
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“The most disturbing is that whenever promotion interview is conducted among officers from level 14, less than 30 per cent are promoted. This is contrary to what is obtainable in other para-military (agencies).
According to Kazeem, “FRSC is a para-military organisation, and therefore, is not guided by civil service rule. He explained that the Corps Marshal has his letter of appointment, which expires in 2022.
“Oyeyemi is in his second tenure in office, having served out the first tenure in 2018,” he said. On promotion of staff, Kazeem described the Corps Marshal as the most transparent person when it comes to promotion of officers and men of the Commission.
“What this people failed to understand is that promotion is done by the board, and it is based on vacancies and quota system,” he explained. He disclosed that he wrote promotion exam last year, but was not promoted because there was no vacancy in Ondo State where he comes from.
According to him, apart from officers promoted on merit based on performance in promotion exams, others due for promotion will have to wait until there is vacancy in their zone.
He said there will be vacancy for Deputy Corps Marshal (DCM) only in South-East next year because the officer from that zone is due for retirement in April.
