Federal government, through the head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, has said that her office will continue to do its best in ensuring that the welfare of workers is given the desired attention.
Yemi-Esan made this known at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Separate and Joint Meetings of the National Public Service Negotiating Councils in Nasarawa State.
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The head of Service of the Federation emphasized the need to work in synergy, leading to a harmonious relationship between the labour unions and government, as a prerequisite to industrial peace in a work environment, stressing that this will promote efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of services.
She added that consistent interaction between both parties will promote and maintain cordial relationships between employer and employees in the Public Service, as well as further enhance sustained industrial peace and harmony in the workplace.
Yemi-Esan, who was represented by the chairman of the councils and permanent secretary of the Service Welfare Office (SWO) in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), Dr Ngozi Onwudiwe, disclosed that the public service is instrumental to the formulation and implementation of policies, programmes, and projects of government for the socio-economic development of human and material resources.
She stressed that the federal government has shown commitment and support in the reforms of the Federal Civil Service by approving the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021 – 2025 (FCSSIP 25).
The FCSSIP 25 is intended to redefine and reposition the public service to enable it to respond effectively to the dynamics of the time in creating a conducive work environment for efficient service delivery in the 21st century.
Accordingly, the sixth pillar of (FCSSIP) 25 is targeted at improving staff welfare, with a prioritized initiative for enhancing the value proposition of civil servants.
The head of service explained further that some of the welfare initiatives by the OHCSF include the Federal Public Service Entrepreneurship Programme (FPSEP), which was recently launched in Abuja, expected to increase the streams of income for serving and exiting public servants.
The programme was developed, according to the permanent secretary, out of the need to pay greater attention to the welfare of public servants. It also creates windows of opportunities for those in service to earn supplemental income to improve their quality of life and enable those retiring to cope with life after service.