Yemi-Esan reiterates FG’s commitment to worker’s welfare

THE Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, has reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government to improve the welfare of workers in the face of the present excruciating economic conditions occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal.

She stated this in a virtual Interactive Session with a cross-section of Civil Servants across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), within and outside the country.

The virtual Session, according to a statement by the Director of Communications Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, Mr Mohammed Ahmed was part of activities marking the 2023 Civil Service Week Celebrations.

Yemi-Esan assured the Nigerian Workers of better days ahead as the Federal Government is doing everything possible to cushion the effects of petroleum subsidy removal.

She highlighted the Government’s plans to improve the welfare of workers through the introduction of a single salary scale for workers in Ministries, Extra-Ministerial Departments and Agencies (MDAs), which she said would be tied to productivity not profession; allowances, palliatives and subsidised transportation to cushion the effects, in the next few weeks.

The Head of Service further stressed on the issue of promotion arrears and timely release of Letters of Promotion to avoid accumulated years of promotion allowance.

She insisted that yearly promotion processes should start and end within the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

She, as well, urged MDAs to submit their requests for promotion arrears on time, so as to enable the OHCSF forward the same.

Reiterating on one of the objectives of the Interactive Session, which is to get feedback from the Civil Servants on the ongoing transformation of the Service,

Dr. Yemi-Esan also highlighted a number of impactful initiatives as captured under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021- 2025 (FCSSIP 25). These include Induction, SMAT-P and LEAD-P, which were resuscitated to propel the Service to be capable of competing, favourably, with those of other climes.

Dr. Yemi-Esan, spoke extensively on digitalisation and Performance Management System (PMS), as key drivers of high productivity.

She cited a number of ways the Office has been embracing digitalisation such as in training and examinations, Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), verification and registration exercises for promotion examination, use of Official e-mail addresses, digitalisation of policy and personal files and many others.

Civil Servants were given ample opportunities to ask questions or make comments on issues bordering on lack of working tools necessary to kick-start digitalisation among others.

Earlier in his address, the Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategic Office, Oloruntola Olufemi, welcomed Civil Servants to the Interactive Session, as well as commended the efforts of every Civil Servant in the realisation of mandates.