By Tony Adibe
The Enugu State Government has expressed happiness with civil servants in the state for prioritizing work ethics, dedication to work and turning out in large numbers in their respective offices in line with Governor Peter Mbah’s core policies of discipline, responsiveness, accountability, traceability, transparency, and optimal performance in the civil and public service.
Also, the government tasked staff at the various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) on high productivity that would help the state to achieve its strategic objectives including moving the state from its current $4.4 billion to $30 billion, and eradication of poverty within the state in the next four to eight years.
Addressing civil servants during an inspection tour at the various MDAs, Monday, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, expressed satisfaction with the high rate of compliance to work by civil servants. He noted that most of the offices visited were able to show, through their numbers, that work had fully resumed on Monday, and that the illegal sit-at-home order cancelled by the state government had been consigned to history.
Prof. Onyia, who reiterated the governor’s resolve to transform the state, improve on the welfare and well-being of citizens, said the state government had already taken some deliberate steps meant at reforming the civil service, creating a conducive work environment for them, and giving attention to their needs.
He noted that electricity had been fully restored at the secretariat complex through collaboration with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and equipping, re-equipping, and fixing of some of the electricity generators which were already working at full capacity.
The SSG, while promising that the state government would continue to do its best to deliver on its mandate, charged both the state and the local government public and civil servants to place premium on efficient service delivery and high productivity in order to justify their remuneration and other emoluments, adding that political office holders must lead by example.
“I decided to go around the local governments today on the directive of His Excellency the Governor, and we also went to some other specific agencies, civil service secretariat, Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB) and the Post Primary School Management Board (PPSMB). From what I have observed in the secretariat and agencies we have visited, there is over 90% compliance in terms of attendance of workers.
“We are beyond attendance now. We are looking at productivity. When people come to work, how do we track performance? The Governor’s Delivery Unit is working on that with the Labour and Productivity Ministry. They will begin to integrate this framework for measuring productivity in our day-to-day activities in public service. That is the only way we can enhance productivity, which is a key aspect of the governor’s promise to the people of the state,” he added.
He further called on members of the public and investors to go about their businesses as the governor had, through several security measures, raised the bar of the state security network which had made it difficult for criminals to penetrate the state, saying the state is presently rated as one of the states with fewer crimes but highly secured.
He explained that measures such as the constitution and training of the Distress Response Squad (DRS), mounting of security cameras, strengthening the local policing and intelligence collaboration had made the state safer for residents and their investments.
The SSG also noted that those habitual latecomers and others engaging in act of absenteeism would be sanctioned according to the civil service rules, even as he warned that the administration would not condone acts which could jeopardize the policies of the state government.
Some of the offices visited included Enugu North, Enugu South, and Enugu East local government areas, the State Secretariat Complex, Ministry of Justice, ENSUBEB, PPSMB, among others.
