Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has mandated the immediate refund of the ₦10,000 application form fee previously charged to all job seekers.
This decision was communicated by the Secretary to the State Government, Olatokunbo Joseph Talabi.
Talabi explained that the fee was charged by the state’s Civil Service Commission on behalf of third-party independent examiners responsible for overseeing the applicants’ examination. He emphasized that the ₦10,000 fee was a standard and historical charge that had been in place for decades.
However, the state government decided to abolish the fee in light of the current economic conditions. The official statement, published on the Ogun State Government’s 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, 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 taking 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.”