Taraba State clarifies N3,000 deduction from civil servants’ salaries in January to cover the cost of Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) forms and prevent fake forms
The Taraba State Government has clarified the N3,000 deduction from January salaries of civil servants, explaining that it is meant to cover the cost of Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) forms.
The statement was issued on Monday by Mr. Christopher Machoko, Permanent Secretary of the Establishment and Records Office under the Head of Service, following a meeting with the Joint Council in Jalingo.
Machoko noted that many civil servants had neglected the mandatory annual completion of APER forms, often filling them only when due for promotion a practice that has negatively affected efficiency in the civil service.
He further revealed that some officers previously paid as much as N5,000 per form to obtain APER forms, while some unscrupulous individuals produced fake forms and sold them at inflated prices, resulting in revenue loss for the government.
To address these challenges, Governor Agbu Kefas approved a yearly deduction of N3,000 for the official production and distribution of genuine APER forms to all civil servants.
“The annual completion of APER forms is mandatory for proper grading and performance evaluation of officers. In 2024, the governor approved the free production and distribution of APER forms as a palliative to ease the burden on workers,” Machoko stated.