Gombe organises workshop for Directors to enhance efficiency, productivity
Deputy Governor of Gombe State Manassah Jatau, has urged directors to key into latest paradigm capable of ensuring efficiency and transparency in service.
Jatau made this disclosure on Monday while declaring open, a four- day capacity building workshop for Directors in the state to improve productivity, and efficiency in public service delivery.
The workshop, organised by the Office of the Head of Civil Service, Civil Service Commission and Bureau for Public Service Reforms was held at Gombe State University.
Delivering his address, the Deputy Governor, said the workshop was carefully designed after series of consultations with experts in order to inject the spirit of handwork, dedication, commitment and expertise on the participants to improve service delivery.
He said, “That this may be the first workshop of it’s kind that you have witnessed in the past administration, is a pointer to what the administration of His Excellency, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya stands for. Basically this administration believes in transparency, accountability, responsiveness, being rational, fair, and in short good governance.
“As it relates to this workshop, the criteria, measuring stick for appointment into the position of Permanent Secretary is laid bare given opportunity to all of you to compete. The contest is open and limited by factor. This is unlike in the past where the criteria for such appointment remained mysterious, as if we are in Bermuda Triangle of the 19th century.”
He charged participants on the need to make optimum use of the opportunity towards improving on their leadership qualities, pointing out that absence of quality leadership has always been identified as the bane of progress in Nigeria.
While noting that all organizations have their peculiar challenges, the Deputy Governor explained that it is the ability of the organization to overcome the challenges that differentiate effective leaders from ineffective ones, charging them to aspire to proffer solutions to challenges bedeviling the civil service.
He recommended that the capacity building workshop should start at recruitment of entire career staff and not to wait until they are Directors in order to avoid lots of damages to the service at the other lower levels of the service.
Also speaking, The Head of Civil Service, Gombe State, Bappayo Yahaya described the capacity building workshop as very crucial in the process of appointment of the new Permanent Secretaries which makes it mandatory to all Directors.
He said, “The workshop was born out of the dogged determination and zeal of the present administration to revitalize and reinvigorate the civil service to make it more result oriented in tackling the ever increasing challenges of governance in the state.”
On her part, Chairperson, Civil Service Commission, Gombe State Rabi Jimeta, explained that public officials must be equipped with the knowledge and manifesto of political leaders to be able to implement their campaign promises.
She further explained that the workshop is to acquaint the Directorate cadre with requisite knowledge as the success of the administration is significantly dependent on the quality of advise they give to the government.
She added that the process include screening of eligible Directors by competent professionals both retired and serving by considering seniority, confidence, integrity and state character through transparency and sincerity of purpose.
Earlier, Director-General Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Yusuf Dauda Kaltungo, informed the gathering that the exercise is first of its kind aimed at introducing reforms in the service in line with administrations commitment to ensuring productivity in service delivery.
