FCTA erases absconded staff from payroll amid CBT exams

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has taken decisive action by erasing workers who absconded from duty from its official records, reinforcing its commitment to modernising its workforce through continued Computer-Based Test (CBT) promotion exams. This was affirmed during the latest CBT exercises conducted for over 8,000 FCTA employees across various cadres.

Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Emeka Eze, emphasised the zero-tolerance stance on absenteeism: “Absconding from duty means you are no longer part of this administration. We have removed such individuals from our staff list to maintain integrity and accountability.” He highlighted that the CBT exams, which span five days in well-organised batches, aim to equip civil servants with critical ICT skills needed for efficient and modern public service delivery.

Eze added, “The FCTA has invested heavily in ICT training as we envision a workforce capable of meeting contemporary challenges. We expect maximum performance and service from each worker. We are also advocating for a dedicated CBT centre fully owned by the FCT to enhance the process.” While acknowledging some technical challenges during the exams, he assured that these issues would be resolved promptly.

Echoing this commitment, Acting Head of Service, Nancy Sabanti-Nathan, stated, “The CBT is here to stay. Despite the challenges participants have encountered, we are determined to address them comprehensively. Technology-driven assessments empower our workforce with essential digital competencies, and there is no turning back to previous manual systems.” She further explained that the computerised system ensures fairness and accuracy since it monitors and records times automatically, allowing candidates to complete their exams even if others finish early.

As the promotion exams proceed, the FCTA reaffirmed its vision of fostering a technologically adept and accountable civil service, promoting transparency and continuous professional development.