Yoruba Cultural troupe in action during the dinner.
ABUJA (HoCSF’s Report) – President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita to develop a road-map that will ensure an effective, innovative and service-oriented Civil Service.
Secretary to the government of the Federation,(Representative of President Muhammadu Buhari) Engr. David Babachir delivering a speech at the event.
The President made the call at a dinner and award night, organized by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, as part of the activities marking the 2016 Nigeria Civil Service Week, which was held recently.
The President, who was represented at the occasion by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. Babachir David Lawal, said such Civil Service is critical to ensure the realization of Government’s change agenda.
Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita delivering her welcome address during the dinner.
The President, while congratulating the awardees, tasked civil servants across the country to remain committed to their duties, and to work with the interest of the nation at heart always.
He stressed that the fact that the civil service is the engine room of Government across the world, could not be over emphasized.
The theme for this year’s Civil Service Week was “Public Governance for Inclusive Growth; Towards the Africa we Want’’.
Earlier, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, in her welcome address, called on public servants across the country to embrace an inclusive and citizen-oriented service delivery.
L-R: Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Alhaji Mohammed Bello and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, during the 2016 Civil Service Week dinner and award night held in Abuja.
This, she said, requires the public and civil service to step up efforts to become more efficient, proactive, result-oriented, financially accountable and corruption resistant. “This is the only option for us in the Civil Service of the Federation, as we have resolved to totally embrace the change agenda of Government’’, she said.
Oyo-Ita stated further that upon assumption of office, her office embarked on robust engagement with critical stakeholders in the Federal Civil Service, and that the engagement culminated to the evolution of a new ethos for the service, founded on the collective desire for efficiency, service delivery and productivity among others. She added that the ethos had been captured in the acronym EPIC, which implies a civil servant and civil service that is Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible, and Citizencentered.
She said that the embrace of EPIC was an inevitable response to the image and efficiency challenge of the Service.
According to her, the EPIC culture will restore hope and dignity to the Service, by reversing the current reputation for inefficiency, low productivity, corruption and insensitivity to the needs of citizens.
Cross-section of Attendees at the dinner and award night.
The EPIC culture will emphasize the core values of the Service, which are meritocracy, transparency, professionalism, anonymity, discipline, impartiality, political neutrality, patriotism and accountability.
She, however, added that the attainment of this desired end state, would require strong enforcement of extant rules and regulations in the Service. Some of the rules and regulations, she further added include the Public Service Rules, Financial Regulations, Exercise of Due Economy and Prepayment Audit, among others.
The Head of Service maintained that notwithstanding the misgiving in the Service, there were still a good number of civil servants with proven track records, who demonstrates high patriotism, and that a total of 41 such distinguished civil servants in different categories are to be honoured.
The awards included the Presidential Distinguished Public Service Career Award, the Presidential Civil Service Merit Award, and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Commendation Award.
