Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has ordered an immediate refund of ₦10,000 charged as an application form fee from all job seekers.
The Secretary to the State Government, Olatokunbo Joseph Talabi, said the state’s Civil Service Commission charged the application form fee on behalf of a third-party independent examiners who will supervise the examination to be written by the applicants.
Talabi explained that there was nothing wrong with the ₦10,000 application form fee, stating it was a standard and historical fee that has been in place for decades.
He added that the state government decided to remove it considering the current economic realities. The statement published on the Ogun State Government X handle, on Thursday, read: “Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has directed the Chairman, Civil Service Commission, to refund all administrative fees currently being charged in relation to the ongoing recruitment exercise into the civil service.
“The directive of the Governor was communicated via a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government and addressed to the Chairman, the Civil Service Commission, notwithstanding the fact that these are standard and historical fees which have been in place for decades.
“These fees are charged by the Civil Service Commission on behalf of third-party independent examiners who administer and supervise the CBT Test and Centres.
“The State Government has, as a gesture of good faith and in acknowledgment of the current economic situation in the country and also taken into consideration the ultimate aim of this recruitment exercise, i.e. to alleviate the sufferings of the citizens and create employment in the state; instructed the immediate refund of fees paid and a waiver of fees for any new applications.“
