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Ogun And Its Civil Servants By Tayo Agunbiade
These days a breath of fresh air pervades the newly-painted corridors of the civil service offices in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The State Government was fully aware that if any meaningful improvement in the quality of public service delivery was to be achieved, a restructuring exercise will have to be effected. The heart of the civil service is its workers upon whom the entire ambit of service delivery d epends. Hence the State Government set about making the welfare of the public servants the centre of a wholesome restructuring exercise.
First and foremost it wholeheartedly undertook to settle the 2001, 2002 and 2003 accumulated leave bonuses to workers on a monthly basis. In a marked difference from the past it adopted a “pay as you go” policy for the payment of 2004 and 2005 leave bonuses for workers embarking on annual leave. Having resolved some of the workers immediate monetary headaches the Government decided to implement its reforms according to the rules and regulations of the Civil Service. Deep from inside the recesses of civil service ‘holy book’ the Government has rolled out a variety of measures which range from appointments, promotions, transfers, training and pensions amongst others.
On assumption of office in May 2003, there was an immediate lifting on the embargo on employment and the recruitment of over 4,000 unemployed youths. The recruitment exercise targeted both senior and junior cadres in the public and civil services and was spread across the State’s three senatorial districts. The State Government notably rejected the easy option of retrenchment and adopted a policy of rightsizing by allocating surplus staff to areas of need. Surplus staffs from agencies such as the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC), Inland Revenue Board, Gateway Transit and the Water Corporation were sent to work where their services were required.
The importance of human capital development as an ingredient to the fruitful workings of civil service cannot be over - emphasized. Priority has been given to well co-ordinated training and re-training programmes with the creation of a special training fund under the Bureau of Establishments and Training and Teaching Service Commission for civil servants and teachers. The State Government has allocated N3m per month into the Civil Service Training Fund, while N1m is released monthly for teachers training programmes. Examples of training programmes for the civil servants include ICT, Effective Communication, speech and Report Writing and general skills.
The newly-established Human Capital Development Fund initiative also includes a secondment programme for senior civil servants to attend overseas training programmes. Senior civil servants have undergone various training programmes at ASCON, and Masters Programmes at different universities. In addition the State Government has sought to build on the knowledge of civil servants through resuscitation of the Public Service Forum Lecture.
The training programmes, workshops, seminars and retreats are targeted at all cadres in the various government agencies and parastatals. They serve as a manpower development tool with which to enhance service capacity amongst the public servants in Ogun State. The concept of the training programmes has clearly also assisted in altering the attitudes towards work with a view to convincing workers to be more results-oriented and imbibe the maintenance culture.
Closely linked to the improvement in productivity in the public service is the prioritisation of promotion exercises. The State Government has now ensured that all promotion exercises and performance appraisals are conducted regularly. Promotions are carried out as and when due and all promotion allowances and arrears are regularly paid. About 3000 civil servants including those in the teaching service have benefited from the 2002/2003 promotion exercise of the State. This has introduced a change in attitude to work and levels of productivity.
Ogun State Government has made the welfare of the State civil servants a linchpin in the success of its service delivery reforms. Hence it has taken steps to design a motivational package to enhance productivity. These include increasing the car refurbishment loans from N20, 000 to N50, 000; while Motor cycle loan is now N10, 000 from N3, 000. The State Government is also finalising steps to establishing a Primary Mortgage Institution to facilitate staff loans for houses. To ease their transportation problems while going to the office, workers in the State Capital have been given two 54-seater buses.
The Government has not only taken care of its workers in service. The well-being of retired public servants is also part of Governor Gbenga Daniel’s people-centered policies. It has disbursed over N1.3b on payment of pensions and gratuity between April 2003 and April 2004 to retired civil servants. It is worth knowing that these payments covered arrears from the last administration.
Making the welfare of the workers a pivotal part of his administration’s programmes has eased the introduction of a whole new work ethos which expects public servants to increase their service capacity, meet deadlines, be result-oriented and imbibe a maintenance culture.
The skilful prioritising of workers welfare by Governor Daniel’s administration has successfully provided anaesthesia for an otherwise painful restructuring operation in the civil service. If anything the State Government has made gains on two fronts: on the one hand, it has gained an army of refreshed, inspired and dutiful public service workers and on the other, the Government has succeeded in enhancing service delivery to the people of Ogun State.
Agunbiade writes from Abeokuta |