BPSR tasks heads of MDAs to offer valuable services to Nigerians
By Aluta News
Mr Dasuki Arabi, Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), says governing boards and heads of Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions must manage the agencies efficiently to enhance public service delivery.
Arabi gave the charge at the closing ceremony of an induction programme for Chairmen and Governing Boards, and Chief Executives of Federal Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions, on Wednesday in Abuja.
Arabi said that the training was to enable them understand the existing challenges and ways to deliver excellent and efficient public service through their agencies.
“As we have been saying that citizens access services first, through parastatals and agencies of government before ministries of government.
“What we expect is for them to go back and implement what they have learnt here, the issue of corporate governance.
“They should consider the nation first before themselves and lead and manage the agencies efficiently, delivering value to the citizens of this country.
“This will help government to fulfil its promises and commitments to Nigerians,’’ he added.
Arabi said various papers were presented on succession, planning and mentorship in line with the new aspirations of the national strategy of public service reforms.
He said that a new executive order was also recently signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on performance management.
“This is one of the reasons why we brought them here and we hope they will go back, be ambassadors of this training and implement this.
“This is our simple contribution to improving the quality of public service that MDAs deliver,’’ the BPSR boss said.
Dr Bala Mohammed, a lecturer of Mass Communication at Bayero University Kano, said the workshop was timely, as both government and most citizens were unaware of vital information to advance the course of governance.
He said it was important to bridge the information gap through strategic communication.
“Each organisation, MDA should make communication a part of their everyday activity so that there will always be knowledge of what is happening.
“The staff must know what the CEO is doing, the board members must know what the management is doing and the management has to know what the board members are thinking.
“With communication, everything would be smoothened and the organisations can run very well,” he added.
Mohammed said this would reduce suspicion and bad blood in the running of public service in the country.
Dr Mbaeri Nnamdi, Permanent Secretary, General Services in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, commended BPSR for organising the training.
“The most important thing is for the chairmen, board members and chief executive officers to know their roles and responsibilities in running the government, for effective service delivery.
“With the lessons learnt today, it is hoped that the system will record tremendous improvement going forward,” the permanent secretary said.
Also, Mr Dauda Biu, the Acting Corps Marshal, said the workshop was for experience gathering and expressed the hope that the participants would translate what they learnt to enhance service delivery.
“I believe when we get back to our different organisations, there will be mass improvement in areas of conflict resolutions, conflict management, corporate governance.
“These are the things that we hope to go and apply in our organisations and I want to assure the Federal Government that there will be a difference and change in positive direction,’’ he added.