By Muyideen Aliyu
A renewed call for civil service reform and citizen-centered governance has been identified as the essential antidote for public service inefficiency.
This position was emphasized during a courtesy visit by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to the Kwara State Head of Service.
The Zonal Director for the North Central for NOA, Princess Dr. Priscilla Gondualuor, was received by the Acting Head of Service, Dr. Olufunke Mercy Shittu.
Their discussions centered on reinvigorating civil service ethics, with a specific focus on professionalism, responsiveness, and accountability.
During the meeting, Dr. Shittu reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to a citizen-driven approach to governance.
She noted that mechanisms such as stakeholder engagements across the three Senatorial Districts and merit-based recruitment processes have been institutionalized to ensure transparency in public administration.
She further hailed Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for re-engineering the State Civil Service into a merit-driven system and praised the NOA team for re-igniting focus within the service.
Earlier, Dr. Gondualuor highlighted the agency’s commitment to fostering partnerships with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) through research, sensitization, and policy alignment.
She explained that the agency’s recent restructuring into a four-tier system, which includes the addition of a zonal directorate, is designed to strengthen operational coordination.
With the North-Central Zonal Headquarters domiciled in Kwara State, Dr. Gondualuor emphasized the importance of the National Values Charter, describing it as a social contract between the government and its citizens.
She explained that the charter outlines seven commitments for the government including equality, democracy, meritocracy, and inclusivity and seven responsibilities for citizens, such as discipline, transparency, and environmental awareness.
The NOA boss called for the enforcement of sanctions against negligence and a renewed commitment to merit-based processes across the state’s workforce.
In their respective votes of thanks, the NOA State Director, Alhaji Dare Abdulganiyu, and the Director of Administration and Finance in the Office of the Head of Service, Mrs. Florence Balogun, commended the state leadership for achieving significant milestones in civil service transformation.
As part of the agreed action points, the Office of the Head of Service is expected to strengthen the State Civil Service Charter, improve correspondence acknowledgment processes, and enforce necessary disciplinary measures.
