ACTING President Yemi Osinbajo has regretted that despite the little progress made in the Nigerian Civil Service, it has continued to be bogged down by corruption which has eaten deep into the system.
Speaking at the inaugural quarterly civil service lecture series, with the theme: “Civil Service in a Change Environment: The Change is Now,” at the Conference Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday, he noted that the civil service that was able to checkmate the excesses of the military era has become broken owing to selfish desires of its operators.
He said: “It was the judiciary that told the military then that while it may make laws, those laws should still respect the inalienable rights of the people as enshrined in international human right conventions to which the country had voluntarily acceded.”
“These were individuals without guns, just sitting down on platforms up there in the court who insisted on holding the military responsible.
“Despite the criticisms that civil servants are subjected to, I’m sure that you know that sometimes civil servants are described as ‘evil servants’ but you must take heart. The best professions are usually the most criticized.
“But I must say that the wholesome privilege of public service is very easily abused or taken for granted. The public service elite represents as we have seen the most important factor in mass development.
“The power to do great good or evil lies with a few people who form what we refer to as our civil service. When some in such an elite see the opportunity as one for self enrichment by corrupt practices then the nation faces a monumental tragedy.”
“There are no excuses anywhere in a nation where the majority are still poor and are struggling to make a living that anyone who has the benefit of good education and good fortune of a job in the civil service should subvert that service for personal gains, I think it’s the greatest tragedy that a nation can experience.”
Also speaking at the occasion, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oya-Ita criticised the media for allegedly focusing on the shortcomings in the civil service to the detriment of its modest gains.
She observed that the Federal Civil Service has been at the forefront of national cohesion and has ensured smooth transition of power from one government to another.
She pledged that the civil service under her leadership would chart a new course driven by efficiency, productivity, transparency and the interest of citizens.
Oya-Ita said the envisaged new direction has already been captured in the 2017-2019 Strategic plan of the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
This, she noted, was anchored on four strategic goals that are in consonance with pillar four of the National Strategy for Civil Service Reforms.
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