…. Calls for holistic review of the civil service disciplinary control

Joel Ajayi

The Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa has described the relationship between the Commission and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) as a Siamese twin.

He explained that the shared roles and responsibilities of the organisations to implement policies, rules and regulations, gatekeeping and provide leadership for the civil service in Nigeria explained this.

He stated this on Monday in Abuja at a one-day joint retreat between the Commission and the OHCSF held at the Office of the National Security Adviser Complex, Abuja. Olaopa said there was a thin line in the shared central governance responsibilities of the two offices, and there are bound to be some measures of conflict and tension around the boundaries of roles, jurisdictions and operations in actual practice; saying that the retreat was organized to enables open communication, regular meeting and dialogue, problem-solving, co-creation, sharing and learning in an atmosphere that helps prevent misunderstanding, build trust and foster strategic partnership.

The event, with the theme, “Enhancing Collaboration for an Efficient and Productive Civil Service in Nigeria,” was the first joint retreat between the FCSC and OHCSF aimed at bridging operational and policy gaps between the two organisations.

The Chairman, who was at the event with his Hon. Commissioners, Permanent secretary and other management staff, called for holistic review of disciplinary control in the civil service to drive deep-seated culture change, value reorientation and reverse the delays handling of disciplinary in the service.

While appreciating OHCSF for organizing the retreat, he said that the two institutions were renowned for synergy and partnership in their operations considering the past evidence of competition between the them which is unhealthy for the service.

He noted that under the present leadership of the two organisations, there have been mutual understanding, meaningful consultation and shared vision in the corporate governance, implementation of reforms and change management in public service; saying that reprofiling of existing public service policy architecture and institutional capability to help government harness public private partnerships (PPP) in order to enhance infrastructure investment financing and to boost public service delivery was key.

The Chairman emphasized the need to rethink the nexus between merit, competency-based human resource practices, performance management, and the wage and remuneration structure of the civil service as part of drive to restore the status of government as employer of choice in the industry.

While also calling for a regular meeting of this nature, Olaopa further stated that the one-day retreat cannot fully cover various issues to be discussed as more of this retreat needed to be organized.

Speaking earlier, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, said the maiden retreat represents another engagement between the two organisations, saying that it was a renewal of partnership.  She said the event was a deliberate and timely effort to build stronger bridges, deepen collaboration, and align their shared purpose in service to the Nigerian people.

 She eulogized Olaopa for his unwavering support and encouragement in all her reform activities, adding that he was a dependable ally in this great responsibility of transforming the Federal Civil Service. Jack said the cordial relationship between the two institutions was a reflection of shared belief that progress is only possible when we work together, not apart.

 Jack commended Olaopa on the launch of Commission’s five-year Strategic Plan, including the adoption of Computer-Based Test for promotion exams and merit-based recruitment that will lead to a greater transparency.

In his remark, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Ndiomu Ebiogeh Phillip said the retreat would further cement the synergy between the two offices and reposition the public service as a forward-thinking, people-cantered and performance-driven institution that is fully equipped to meet the challenges of today and anticipate the needs of tomorrow. He commended both Olaopa and Jack for organizing the event, and expressed that more of this should be organized regularly.

Ambassador Mustapha Lawal Suleiman in his keynote address titled, “Building stronger collaboration for a high performing civil service”, called for Institutional synergy between FCSC and OHCSF where core mandates of the Commission are conducted with a representative from the Head of Service to synchronize policy in the service.

He emphasized mutual understanding, open communication and a shared sense of responsibility between the organisations so that they can function together seamlessly not only to deliver on their national mandates but to collectively enhance the performance of the public service.

The high point of the event was the establishment of a team comprising members from FCSC and OHCSF to develop retreat talking points that would be built upon in the subsequent retreat. The retreat also involved 1st and 2nd discussion sessions, moderated by Dr. Francisca Odeka (OHCSF Consultant) and Ambassador Mustapha Lawal Suleiman (Keynote speaker), focused on bridging gaps and x-raying areas of concern. Other highlights were the executive session, where comments, observations and Q&A were entertained.

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