Posted by By DAVID ONWUCHEKWA, Nnewi on
About 121, 731 workers have so far been disengaged from the Federal Public Service, as part of efforts to reposition it for better performance.
About 121, 731 workers have so far been disengaged from the Federal Public Service, as part of efforts to reposition it for better performance.
Mr Ahmed Al-Gazali, chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), disclosed this on Friday night while delivering the 60th Anniversary lecture of the University of Ibadan.
Al-Gazali said that about 41, 730 civil servants were disengaged from the main civil service, while about 80, 000 others relieved of their jobs were from parastatal agencies. He said that a new performance management system, designed to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the public service, had been evolved by the Conference of Civil Service Commissions.
"The system is currently with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, awaiting ratification of the National Council on Establishment before being put into use," Al-Gazali said. He also said that there was an ongoing process of computerising the public service to create an efficient database, adding that this had helped to completely eliminate the issue of ghost workers.
According to Al-Gazali, also a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, the
commission is also pursuing structural alignment with a view to bringing about better work organisation, reduce waste and increase efficiency.
"Non-performing organisations are either scrapped or merged with those that have similar mandate and refocused through better management approach.
"Also, ministries have been merged with a view to aligning them for greater efficiency," he said. On privatisation of public institutions, he said the process leading to the sales of some of these might call for further evaluation "as the gains of the privatisation and new management have yet to have the robust effects anticipated."
Al-Gazali, however, said a lot more need to be accomplished to ensure that the public service is transformed into a modern bureaucracy capable of assisting government on the delivery of fundamental objectives and directive, principles of state policies.
According to him, there is the need to re-professionalise the service through the process of appropriate placement of workers based on their core competencies and provision of enabling environment with the appropriate tools for timely and efficient delivery of service.
Al-Gazali also stressed the need for a robust remuneration package that would be in tandem with cost of living and the rate of inflation. He said that the recent wage review of political and public office holders with those of the civil servants had created a yawning gap between the new political class and the workers in the public sector.
"Apart from appropriate and timely motivation for growth and development through training, progression and managerial succession, we also need attraction, retention and proper management of core talents for prompt, efficient and effective service delivery.
"These deficits are critical variables that must be addressed to align the service with greater productivity, timely delivery of service, efficiency and necessary best practices that will make Nigeria's public service respond to the dynamics of the globalise world," Al-Gazali said.