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Commission will provide support and guidance for FCT-Civil Service Commission to succeed-Prof. Olaopa

Published

10 months ago

April 26, 2024

Joel Ajayi

Thee Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa has assured the Chairman, FCT Civil Service Commission (FCT-CSC) that Federal Civil Service Commission will give all necessary support and guidance to his team to succeed as he aimed to build effective and professionally oriented Civil Service Commission for the Federal Capital Territory.

Olaopa made this known when a team of FCT Civil Service Commission led by its pioneer Chairman, Engr. Emeka Ezeh paid him a courtesy visit in his office today. He pledged his unalloyed support for the delegation on the task of building the FCT Commission.

“It is only our duty to provide the required guidance as a matter of rights. You need to be guided”.

He equally praised the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bar. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike for making history by taking the bold decision of establishing the foundation for public administration practice in the FCT as seen through his inauguration of the Commission on the 18th March, 2024.

The Chairman said bureaucrats applaud it when government takes a far reaching political decision as done by the FCT-Minister which elevates public administration to another heights; adding that such action deserves maximum support not only to ensure its utmost success but accord such initiative a desirable compliments so that the objective of government can be achieved to the fullest extent possible.

While informing the delegation that the Federal Civil Service Commission was to have its Secretary soon to make it a full-fledge organization that will not rely on pool officers, he commended FCT-CSC for having a substantive Secretary that makes it a true establishment.

He added that the bane of the Federal Civil Service Commission has been staff migrating out of the Commission for greener-pastures. “People go to where there is money. But the truth of the matter is the Commission is not set up to run project. It is a service Commission”

He disclosed that going-forward and with the approval of the President, any civil servant that will be posted to the Commission will be made to sign a 5year-bond- an agreement that will make staff stay for this period in the Commission before leaving elsewhere service-wide.

He told the FCT-CSC delegation that their Commission has limitless opportunities to be innovative unlike the FCSC that he called “inherited baggages” which he said it was very tough dealing with the current bureaucratic structure that is not easy to manage, stating that FCSC staff need re-orientation.

Commission boss emphasized that FCSC would have been a game-changer for him if he had a fresh start like FCT-CSC as it would allow him to determine the kind of management system he wants but not possible to have a fresh with bureaucratic structure on he met ground.

Stating those changes the FCT-CSC Chairman needs to make to succeed, Olaopa pointed out that the Commission should try its best not to inherit the old-school baggages and outdated practices which can make the Commission not to be relevant.

He said the life-span of the FCT-CSC Commission is very short but takes a very smart leader to re-think the place. He also called for administrative efficiency that is driven by technology. According to him, any system that has not increase its digital penetration is four generations backward.

Olaopa equally said the Commission should performance-manage where it would put itself under performance-bond with target set for what it wants to achieve in the next five-years. He emphasized that FCT-CSC should pursue professionalism and strive to become ISO compliant and centre of excellence in terms of administrative efficiency. He called on the FCT-CSC to collaborate with the Commission to avoid duplication of what the Commission has already done in its recent Seminar.

FCSC Chairman advised that FCT-CSC forthcoming Seminar should have sub-theme that will discuss functions, powers and responsibilities as well as the challenges and opportunities in the Civil Service Commission. Olaopa said the FCSC Seminar from 13th to 16th May 2024 is an event that will set the tone for FCT-CSC first level Seminar.

He revealed that it is very important for FCT-CSC to engage with FCT-Head of Service (FCT-HOS) to start on sound footing. According to him, the two organizations have defined functions that complement each-other like Siamese twins and not to be in competition.

Speaking earlier, FCT-CSC Chairman, Engr. Emeka Ezeh who came in company of his Commissioners and Secretary of the Commission, Mallam Umar Sander Kuso, disclosed that coming to the Commission was the first outing of the team after their inauguration by FCT-Minister on the 18th March, 2024.

Ezeh said the reason for their visit was to thank the Hon. Chairman for attending their inauguration and also, to secure the Commission’s guidance, collaboration, and support as they embark on the job of establishing the new FCT Civil Service Commission.
He informed that the Act setting up FCT Civil Service Commission was signed into law on August 24, 2018; and charged the Commission with the responsibility for appointments, promotion, discipline, and transfer of civil servants to the civil service of the Federal Capital Territory.

He used the occasion to invite the FCSC Chairman to their roundtable meeting coming up on the 13th to 16th May, 2024 which aimed at charting a way forward for the FCT Commission, He said Prof.
Olaopa is expected to facilitate a session at the meeting where he will speak on: “Civil Service Commission structure and functions” between 9.30am and 11:00am followed by question and answer session.

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Foreign news

French Envoy Seeks Collaboration With NAN To Boost Seamless Relationship

Published

2 hours ago

February 5, 2025

The Gleamer

The new French envoy to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, on Wednesday called for collaboration with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) toward strengthening the mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries.

Fonbaustier, who is the French ambassador to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, NAN’s Managing Director, in Abuja.
The ambassador said that his purpose of visiting was to pay tribute to the MD, and to seek collaboration in three areas with a view to promoting stronger, seamless and fruitful partnership between both countries.

He added that Nigeria and its people were hospitable, especially to the foreigners and ambassadors alike.

He added that Nigeria was a country with so much energy, strength, stamina and so many talents.

In Nigeria, with the population of this size, it is inevitable that the elites of the country are very outstanding, “and there may be a Franco/Nigeria moments now”, he jokes.

According to him, France and Nigeria can collaborate more and learn from each other.
“I could feel it particularly during the state visit of President Bola Tinubu which took place in November 2024.

“I was there and I could see the intensity, the strength and the scope of the partnership, and I am here to scale up that partnership in all sectors.

“I am coming here for three reasons, first, to pay a tribute to the NAN MD and his team for the quality of this agency. We can testify that the contents that you publish are very factual, and also very well set up and structured.

“You do fact checking and you really do try to provide the community with quality information. I think, as a French ambassador, I can recognise that as part of a living democracy,” he said.

The French ambassador said the second reason for the visit was to intimate the NAN MD of France’s eagerness to go on partnership with NAN saying he hoped for assurance of a seamless, fluid and easy relationship.

He said that his third reason stemmed from his observation that NAN recently signed some partnership framework agreements with Egypt and China, saying “it may be time to think of balancing this partnership with others”.

“Especially with French, and to talk with Agence France-Presse (AFP) to see if there’s ground for a closer relationship between NAN and AFP.

“Which is also a recognised agency like yours, and I bet you the sky will be the limit to the collaboration, ’’he said.

Responding, the NAN MD informed the envoy that the agency was African’s biggest news content provider on account of its size.

Ali gave the envoy a little details of the agency’s operation and its outreach, saying “as our continent’s biggest news content provider, we have offices nationwide and in selected African countries.

“We have offices in countries such as South Africa, Cote d’ivoire, Addis Ababa, and then we have offices also beyond the shores of Africa. We have in New York and we are the only resident wire service in the United Nations.

“At a time in the past, the agency had 11 foreign offices, including Moscow, and presently, we are trying to re-open some of our shut offices, especially in London.
“We value partnership and understanding that we have with similar news organisation such as Reuters and, incidentally, we have a long standing relationship with AFP which you just raised.
“I know for years we have exchange of news between NAN and AFP but it’s a cooperation that we will like to strengthen and with your greater involvement,’’ he said.

The MD commended the ambassador for reaching out and engaging with some Nigerians communities to douse the tension of the allegation made by the Nigeriens.

He also lauded the envoy’s leadership and visibility to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, “which has helped to douse the perception and misconceptions about France, especially in the Sahel”.
“I think you have helped to reverse some of this perceptions. I thank you for the kind words that you said about the agency and about our management.

“We also see partnership as an important tool in checking the spread of fake news.
“We’ve seen instances where fake news has done great deal of damage, and with the coming of social media it has done even greater damage.

“Our country is facing a lot of challenges, one of which is the increasing insecurity, and the social media has been used by those who do not want to see our country to prosper,” Ali said.
He further said that NAN was a credible news agency that always fact check to correct the wrong narratives by those who are in the business of causing troubles.

He also told the envoy that the agency has its content in the Nigerian indigenous languages, starting with Hausa and it would proceed to Yoruba and Igbo languages later, “then later in future to French.

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