The federal government has rewarded outstanding 34 workers with the Presidential Distinguished Public Service Career Award; Presidential Civil Service Merit Award; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Commendation Award; The Public Service Excellence Award; and Sports Achievement Award.
The Star Prize of a brand new 2022 JAC JS4 luxury model SUV was won by Mrs Juwon Olayiwola of the Federal Ministry of Education.
The first runner-up, Mr Nwachukwu, of the Service Welfare Office, OHCSF, won a 2-bedroom semi-detached bungalow while the 3rd price – a plot of land – was allocated to Mrs Chukweke Stella Oluchi, of the Office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
The rewards and recognition ceremony/gala nite held Saturday night marked the conclusion of the 2023 Civil Service Week celebration.
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In her address earlier, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, said the federal government had procured insurance coverage for its employees from 9th February 2023 to 8th February 2024.
She said the government had also cleared the backlog of death benefits of about 1,500 deceased officers to their beneficiaries from 2021 to date.
“In the area of salaries and allowances, as you are aware the Presidential Committee on Salary Harmonization is working to review salaries to reduce the disparity.
“Again, let me also inform you that 40% of basic salary was approved by FEC as Peculiar Allowance, with effect from January 2023; together with the Upward Review of Staff Duty Tour Allowance (DTA),” Yemi-Esan stated.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the event urged the civil service system to up its reform initiatives to match the ‘very high’ expectations of the present administration.
The president, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, described civil service as a fulcrum for governance, whose vision and mission are predicated on the instrumentation of policies and programmes that will enhance national economic and multi-dimensional growth.
“The African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) will require a fit-for-purpose African public administration to succeed, which interrogates intra-African trade and productivity of the continent against the backdrop of the ambitious aspirations of Agenda 2063,” Tinubu said.
He said that inspired the theme for this year’s Civil Service Week, ‘Digitalisation of Work Processes in the Public Service: A Gateway to Efficient Resource Utilization and National Development’.
Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office (SWO), OHCSF, Alhaji Mahmud Adams Kambari, said the objectives of the Rewards and Recognition Scheme (R&RS) are to encourage improved productivity, as well as attract, nurture, develop and retain outstanding officers in the civil service.
