Okwuofu advocates synergy for virile civil service in Delta

The Chairman of the Delta state Civil Service Commission, Patience Okwuofu, has stressed the need to foster synergy between the commission and the civil service in the state.

Okwuofu stated this recently at a meeting with the Delta state Head of Service, Reginald Bayoko in Asaba.

Dame Okwuofu stated that the Civil Service Commission remains the hub of government and called for a proper restructuring that will lift the service into a virile and constructive service for the effective functioning of government.

While congratulating the Head of Service on his appointment, which she said was based on efficiency and not age, she opined that it was important for experience and capability to be considered in order to achieve the aims of government.

The chairman of the commission said she recognizes from the constitution, the relationship and separation of functions with regard to the commission and office of the Head of Service, but insisted that there was need for maturity to be applied in discharging their various duties.

She noted that a clear definition of function will enable things to work well which informed the decision of the Commission to undertake physical visit to all the ministries, agencies and departments in order identify lapses within the system.

With regard to the existing rules and regulations, Dame Okwuofu stated that there was need to update them in line with relation of affairs.

She also observed that civil servants have lost control of oath of secrecy, exhibiting a poor and often embarrassing management of information. She decried the situation where staff reject posting, particularly to the commission and sought for a mechanism to be put in place to show where officers have served previously in order to gather experience, stressing that officers should justify their present position, experience and efficiency.

She added that the commission ought to have the most experienced and best hands, not recalcitrant, lazy and redundant workers. The commission, she emphasized was not a dumping ground. She also advocated for lot of quality training and retraining.