By Sarah NEGEDU
Civil servants in Nigeria have been asked to evolve new strategies and policies that would reposition the entire civil service structure and strengthen good governance in the country.
FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, gave the charge while declaring open the 43rd meeting of the National Council on Establishments.
Bello commended Civil Servants, particularly those from the nation’s capital, for working tirelessly in the last three decades in beautifying and building the capital city of the dream of the founding fathers.
While describing it as an honour to be selected to host the 43rd NCE, Bello hinted that the civil service of the federation was a bastion of stability and solidity upon which successive governments relied on for formulation and implementation of policies, as well as extant rules.
He therefore urged the participants to evolve useful recommendations through their deliberations, and called on the Heads of Civil Service of states to also introduce positive changes in their respective states to improve the life of Nigerians.
Earlier, the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Folasade Yemi-Esan, said the meeting is an annual event aimed at brainstorming on matters affecting governance at all levels.
She also reiterated commitment to earlier resolutions that only academic qualifications should be used for appointment into civil service.
The Head of Service encouraged civil servants to engage in information communication and technology, ICT and agricultural value chain.
Yemi-Esan further hinted that the office of the Head of Service is committed to partnering with all the Head of Service across the 36 states of the federation to enable them key into new policies of government.
Other past resolutions of the meeting according to the Head of Service included provision that five percent of employment opportunities in the federal civil service should be reserved for physically challenged persons.
Also speaking, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, charged civil servants to remain committed to exemplary conduct.
The further revealed that all civil service across the thirty-six states of the federation are the engine room of any successive government.
