Steering Committee on Reforms holds high-level retreat...

Steering Committee on Reforms holds high-level retreat

On 22 January, the Steering Committee on Reforms (SCR) held a one-day retreat for high-level government officials to fashion out the future direction of public service reform at the Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja.  Participants including key ministers, members of SCR, all federal permanent secretaries, directors and general/chief executives of federal parastatals and agencies, discussed key issues affecting the Public Service and provided comments and feed back on a draft National Strategy on Public Service Reforms.  Whilst delivering his welcome address, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and Vice Chairman of the Steering Committee on Reforms, Danladi I. Kifasi said 'the Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government envisages a world class and merit-based Public Service that delivers government policies and programmes with excellence, discipline and professionalism...if the aim of the retreat which is to map out a roadmap for reforming the budgetary system, make compensation system clearer and fairer and improve the services delivered to Nigerians is achieved, a National Strategy for Public Service Reforms that can move the Nation towards world class would have been developed.' The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Steering Committee on Reforms, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim cataloged key achievements of the reforms and highlighted the need to build increased public confidence, increased involvement of the private sector in public service delivery and focus on the needs of the customer and develop a strategy to guide and coordinate future reform efforts. The Vice-President, His Excellency, Arch. Namadi  Sambo represented by the Head of Service of the Federation, Danladi Kifasi noted that the reform initiatives of the present administration, include the fact that Nigeria is now Africa’s biggest economy, that life expectancy has gone up from 47 years to 52 years in the last 4 years and that only 3.4% of Nigerians are living with HIV/AIDS amongst others. Culled from BPSR Reformer Monthly.