FG tasks public servants on accountability, transparency

On African Public Service Day (APSD), the Federal Government has tasked civil servants to be accountable and transparent in their services to the nation.

Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), made the call in a gave video conference to mark the APSD on Tuesday in Abuja.

Yemi-Esan said accountability and transparency in the public service could go a long way in maintaining public confidence and trust in the system.

It was reported that the APSD is celebrated annually on June 23 every year to recognize the value and virtue of services to the community.

“The level of public enlightenment and interest in government processes and activities also go further to underscore the need for us as service providers to be accountable and transparent in delivery of our services,” she said.

The APSD celebration, according to her, provides an opportunity to highlight contributions, and recognise the work of the public servants while also encouraging young people to pursue self-reliance in the public service sector.

Yemi-Esan, however, decried the interruption of full celebration of APSD due to the current prevalence of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic which had coursed the nation to celebrate it in low key.

“As you may be aware, the APSD is usually marked in Nigeria with weeklong activities.

“However, we are celebrating this year on a low key to observe physical distancing rules and to play our part in curtailing the spread of COVID-19,” she said.

The HOS used the occasion to appreciate the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for the supports as well as the mechanism put in place by him for the promotion of transparency and accountability in the service.

She mentioned some of these to include the Treasury Single account (TSA), the expansion of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), the Bank Verification Number (BVN), and the Open Treasury Portal (OTP) among others.

“It is pertinent at this point to emphasis that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has done a lot to put in place mechanism for the promotion of transparency and accountability in the service.

“These among many others are integral parts of government`s public financial management reforms aim at ensuring the effective monitoring and transparency of MDAs` operation.

“I wish at this point to acknowledge and appreciate the support of his Excellency Mr President to the public service by giving the necessary backing for the success of all our initiative programmes and activities,” Yemi-Esan said.

On the part of the office of the HOCSF, she said her office was working on the number of the reforms to promote transparency and accountability by leveraging on digitization and automation to achieve the set goals.

According to her, office of the HOCSF is working with stakeholders to develop policy and guidelines on remote working, adding that it is in an effort to turn the challenges posed by the COVID-19 to opportunities.

The theme for the 2020 is, “Silencing the Gun, Creating Conducive Condition for Africa`s Development,”

She said Nigeria had decided to craft its own theme on the unified theme with the aim of speaking to more salient issues that the nation faced with.

“Our national theme for this year is, ‘Entrenching Good Governance, Developing Transparent and Accountable Public Institutions,” the HOS added.