Nurturing a Culture of Rewarding Outstanding Civil Servants By Abdulsalam Mahmud
POLITICS DIGEST- The Nigerian civil service is plagued by a litany of structural challenges, among which include poor organisational set-up, unfriendly working environment, absence of working tools, and overlapping functions among government agencies and organisations, to mention a few.
But it is the dearth of committed and dedicated civil servants that will help government drive formulates administrative policies and agenda geared towards national development, that is more troubling.
The lack of motivation in many federal civil servants, most especially, has contributed in no small way to make public service in Nigeria somewhat inefficient, and crassly moribund.
Amid the aforementioned teething challenges, assiduous efforts have been made by the Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan-led Office of the Civil Service of the Federations to reinvent the 21st Nigerian civil service.
Yemi-Esan, it must be said without equivocation, has shown great commitment and genuine passion towards reforming the federal civil service, in particular.
Under her stewardship, several innovative policies have been formulated, with programmes and activities carried out for the growth of the service, and benefit of civil servants.
But the most remarkable feat recorded by the soft-spoken, amiable, reserved albeit intelligent Head of Service of the Federation is boosting the morale of workers, especially at the federal level.
Since reward is said to be a powerful source of motivation, the Federal Government, through the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), recently conferred the ‘Presidential Merit Award’ on ten civil servants for uncommon performance, commitment and dedication to duty.
The award was conferred on the recipients at the 2022 Civil Service Day Celebration, in Abuja.
The Award Ceremony is in tandem with the Rewards and Recognition System (R&RS) institutionalised in the Federal Civil Service, to recognize significant and outstanding value-added contributions of staff, while discharging their duties in spite of various constraints, create “role models,” promote positive behaviours that support the attainment of the goals and objectives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), improve staff productivity, as well, as quality of work.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who delivered a Keynote Address and performed the presentation, was represented at the event by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Mohammad Bello Musa.
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According to the President, the uncommon actions displayed by some of the awardees is a demonstration of the culture change being championed by his Administration’s in line with its anti-corruption crusade.
He also noted that his administration is working assiduously towards improving the value preposition of the Service by setting up a Presidential Committee on Salary Harmonization in order to properly renumerate them.
He also launched the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025, approved by the Federal Executive Council in December, 2021 and a culture change video, heralding a new value re-orientation.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi- Esan in her address, stated that the awards were predicated on unusual patriotic commitment to the Service.
She disclosed that the awards are anchored on productivity, integrity, efficiency, service delivery, commitment and dedication to scheduled and adhoc duties and responsibilities.
The event attracted former Heads of Service of the Federation, Retired and Serving Permanent Secretaries, development partners and other relevant stakeholders.
Speaking on the history of the awards, the Head of Service informed the gathering that each MDA conducted its own merit award ceremonies, where 3 staff were chosen and rewarded after due diligence.
Amongst the three winners from each MDA, one most outstanding staff was thereafter forwarded to the Office of the Head of Service, making a total of 41.
Furthermore, the Performance Management System Department, in the OHCSF further conducted another rigorous selection process, where 10 best emerged.
Certificate of Award, Plaque and Five Hundred Thousand Naira (#500,000.00) were presented to each of the ten (10) outstanding recipients of the Presidential Public Service Merit Award.
Mr Sunday Olusegun Fanoiki, a Chief Executive Officer on salary grade level 14 with the Ministry of Police Affairs, emerged as the winner of a brand-new GAC SUV donated by a consortium of nine Nigerian Insurance Companies, after a transparent raffle draw for the 10 outstanding winners at the venue of the event.
Dr. Yemi – Esan, thanked the award recipients for standing out from amongst their colleagues through exceptional performance and exemplary leadership.
The presentations were performed by Mr. President, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission, Former Heads of Service, Permanent Secretary, Ecological Project Office – OSGF, Corp Marshall, FRSC, Chairman, Aig-Imuokhuede Foundation, President, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers and CEO, Quicklink Insurance Brokers and Representative of Globacom Plc.
Mahmud is Deputy Editor at PRNigeria
