President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed doors with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, on the state of the nation’s civil service.
The meeting which took place inside the President’s office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja was meant to update the President on developments in the service.
Oyo-Ita later told State House correspondents that she used the opportunity of the meeting to update the President on the Federal Integrated Staff Housing programme, the 2017- 2019 Head of Service Strategic Plan and other activities of the service.
The Federal Government has so far committed over N30bn for the execution of affordable houses for the civil servants under the housing programme which was launched in 2016.
Oyo-Ita said, “Mr. President wanted an update on the civil service so far and especially the 2017 – 2019 Head of Service Strategic Plan.
“I also briefed him on our Federal Integrated Staff Housing programme which as you all know is a sub-set of Mr. President’s National Housing Policy, which is so dear to his heart.”
Giving further insight into the housing programme, Oyo-Ita said her office was working with the developers and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria especially in the area of mortgage facilities for civil servants.
She said the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, had been cooperating with her office in that regard.
Oyo-Ita explained that the Head of Service Strategic Plan from 2017-2019 which was inaugurated in March, was aimed at repositioning the Federal Civil Service for efficient service delivery to Nigerians and progressive development of the country.
According to her, the plan which is standing on four pillars is to develop an efficient, productive and incorruptible and citizen-centred civil service.
She said the plan would be focusing on capacity building, maintaining rules and regulations as well as training the civil servants on core mandates.
Oyo-Ita further stated other goals of the plan were to digitalise the entire civil service structure and entrepreneurial development and commercial orientation of the service to generate additional revenue for the government.
PUNCH