The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power, Ambassador (Dr.) Godknows Boladei Igali, held an interactive session with Heads and officers of Federal Establishments in Bayelsa State at Ayalla Hotels in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, as a means of bringing home the developments, achievements and dividends of the Transformation Agenda, as well as relating with them to know their challenges.
Speaking at the occasion, Ambassador Igali commended the strong presence of federal establishments and agencies in the state, disclosing that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, through the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, had directed all Federal Permanent Secretaries to visit their home states and hold interactive sessions with federal civil servants in their states.
The PS, who is an indigene and former Secretary to the State Government of Bayelsa State, noted that his visit aimed, among other things, to factor the civil servants into the Transformation Agenda of Mr. President, adding that the agenda has made provisions for civil servants.
He enumerated the achievements of the President Jonathan Administration to include Cultural Revolution, where culture can now be used to generate revenue and as an instrument of national integration and development, as against crude oil being the only source of revenue generation.
According to him, the power sector has recorded tremendous achievements and the pension scheme is now stable as civil servants can now retire and collect their pensions with ease, adding that pension administration has been moved from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and that it is now a directorate of its own.
He also explained that Federal civil servants can now access federal housing loans, a scheme designed to make every civil servant a proud owner of a house in any part of the country where he works or chooses.
Dr. Igali also encouraged Federal Civil Servants in the state to always put in their best, assuring that the President is committed to bringing back the civil service to its past honourable and prestigious position, as well as improving their welfare to enable them earn good and decent living anywhere they find themselves in their call to service for national development.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of Federal Establishments Association in Bayelsa State, Chief Benedict Gwembe, appealed to Mr. President to hasten the construction of the Federal Secretariat in the state to effectively accommodate the federal agencies, noting that the Agencies are scattered all over the city with poor office accommodation and facilities, most of them paying exorbitant rents for very small office spaces.
The South-South Zonal Coordinator of National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Mr. James Imohiosen, who is the Chairman, Committee on Sensitization in the umbrella Association, used the opportunity to inform the Perm. Sec. and representatives of Federal Establishments and other guests at the event about the ongoing NICO Weekend Nigerian Indigenous Languages Programme, charging civil servants to take advantage of the programme to acquire new knowledge as well as speak another language other than their own as this will enhance their interaction with people in their new locations as well as facilitate their communication and service delivery.
Dignitaries at the event included some Directors from the Federal Ministry of Power: Mrs. G. P. Papka (Human Resources Management), Mr. Nuhu Sanda (Planning, Research & Statistics), Mr. A. Fetugu (Finance & Accounts); the MD/CEO Afam Power PLC, Engr. Leo Ofurum, and the Director, Leadership, Training and Re-training, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Famous Eseduwo.
Clifford Ugwu
Corporate Affairs
NICO South South Zone