HOS SEEKS FOR DOMESTICATION OF FCSSIP25 IN STATES

HOS SEEKS FOR DOMESTICATION OF FCSSIP25 IN STATES

The Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan has urged for the thirty-six (36) states civil Service in the country to adopt the newly approved Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 25 (FCSSIP25).

She made the appeal at the opening ceremony of the National Council on Establishments meeting on Thursday, 27th January, 2022 in Abuja.

She said that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021 to 2025 known as FCSSIP25 which is a successor plan to the first plan which ran from 2017 to 2020. The FCSSIP25, she explained, is aimed at consolidating the gains recorded in the first plan, as well respond to emerging challenges in the service.

Her words: “States that are represented here today, are implored to see the commitment as a national one. This is because we recognize the importance of stakeholder ownership of all our reform initiatives. Because the service wide success of these initiatives, rests largely on how they are passionately communicated to all stakeholders, and the level of determination with which they are driven. This is why these and other laudable national policy initiatives further the beacon for synergy, buy-in and ownership by states with the aim of deepening development and interventions, especially to the most disadvantaged segments of society”.

The six priority areas of the new plan include the acceleration of capacity building and Talent Management; institutionalisation of performance management; improvement of the integrated personnel and payroll information system; institutionalization of innovation in the public service; digitalization and staff welfare,

Dr. Yemi-Esan further stated that the implementation of the FCSSIP25 among other deliverables is expected to save cost and improve transparency as well as bring about transformation of the service to a world class status. “It is expected the service would be saving about N4.5 billion annually just from digitizing content in all MDAs and it will also result in improved content sharing”, she added.

In line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to lift 100 million Nigerians from poverty, Dr. Yemi-Esan said that FCSSIP25 is targeted at reinvigorating the service, improve welfare of civil servants and give them enabling environment to operate effectively.

The Hos also highlighted some of the resolutions reached by the Council during the 42nd National Council on Establishments such as the usage of only academic qualifications for entry into the public service of the Federation and States; inclusion of banking and finance degree in the schemes of service; Internship programme;  creation of some new cadres like psychology officer in the service; provision of guidelines for the conversion of executive superintendent technical cadres to professional officer cadres in service and  the redesignation of health records practitioner cadres and restoration of the intermediate cadres in the schemes of service among others.

She also spoke of the revised Public Service Rules (PSR) approved by the Federal Executive Council. The PSR contains Performance Management System which replaced the old Annual Performance Evaluation Report; training and capacity development and introduction of virtual meetings as means of conducting public service engagements.

Other items in the PSR are the computation of annual leave based on working days as opposed to calendar days; introduction of paternity leave and upward review of the Duty Tour Allowance in the public service.

In addition, tenure policy has been restored in the new PSR while persons living with disabilities are to have 5% of all employment opportunities in the service. Public servants are now encouraged to engage in ICT and agricultural business value chain, provided it does not conflict with their official duties.

In his speech, the Minister, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Mohammed Musa Bello in his speech praised the hard work and commitment of civil servants in the development of the FCT. He enjoined civil servants to implement policies being passionately championed by the Office of the Head of Service for the good of the service and nation at large.

The Council Meeting which is chaired by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan includes Heads of Service from the 36 states of the Federation. The Council deliberated and considered a number of memoranda for the good of the service.

The National Council on Establishment is a consultative and advisory body on establishment matters to the Federal and State Governments. Both the Federal and State civil services meet annually to brainstorm on matters that affect government at all levels, with the view to providing the requisite professional guidance to effectively drive policies, programs and activities.

 

 

 

AbduGaniyu Aminu

Director, Communications

28th January, 2022