As Nigeria sets to mark its 56th Independence Day Anniversary, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita said that Government is fully committed to the restoration of dignity, integrity and confidence in the Public Service through the promotion and provision of staff welfare and motivation; forging a cast-iron relationship between the political and bureaucratic leadership, identifying and targeting the main barriers to innovation among others.Mrs. Oyo-Ita who disclosed this today in her office in Abuja said that Government is not unaware of the challenges faced by the Federal Civil Servants which hinders them from performing their duties diligently.
Adding that relevant training programmes that are aimed at enhancing the workforce so as to reposition it in the new task of bringing the desired change is being put in place. Stressing further that government will do everything humanly possible to restore integrity and confidence of its workforce for effective service delivery to Nigerians.
She assured that the present administration under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to the provision of better welfare services for workers so as to help ameliorate their sufferings particularly in the area of provision of decent and affordable accommodation where she said that, modalities are being worked out on how workers could earn their own home through the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) Programme with little or no pains.
The Head of Service assured further that government is working out measures to cushion the effect of the present economic challenges confronting the nation and that all matters relating to pensions and other financial entitlements of workers including the prompt payment of their salaries will soon be resolved within the available scarce resources.
She urged Public Servants in the country to continually exhibit the highest level of professionalism in all their responsibilities in view of the strategic and significant role they are expected to play in the development of the nation. She said that Public Servants must be seen to function as agents of change by ensuring that they render efficient and effective services to Nigerians in order to accelerate economic growth and development in the country. “All Public Servants must look at themselves and say ‘change begins with us’ “, she said.
Mrs. Oyo-Ita reminded workers of the need to imbibe the highest level of discipline, loyalty and commitment to the present administration in its resolve to provide the desired change. Adding that workers should shun all forms of corrupt practices and strictly operate according to the Public Service Rules (PRS) as her vision is to have an Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible and Citizen-Centred (EPIC) Civil Service, which would be commercially oriented and innovative.
While wishing workers a successful Independence Day Celebration, the Head of Service thanked them for their understanding, patience, commitment, and punctuality to duty even with the current economic crisis that is confronting the nation.
SIGNED
Mohammed Manga
Assistant Director (Media Relations)
For: Head of the Civil Service of the Federation
