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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has stressed the need to recognize technocrats in the civil service, stressing that they play a vital role in driving reforms and effective governance.
“The technocrats have the power and we have to acknowledge that,” Obasanjo said at the Aigo Imuhude Foundation national seminar in Abuja on Tuesday.
The Aig-Imoumhuede Foundation is a philanthropic organization dedicated to improving public services and primary healthcare delivery in Africa.
The former president referred to the permanent secretaries and other civil servants as technocrats.
He used his own experience as an example to emphasize the importance of collaboration between political leaders and technical experts.
“Reform requires political leaders and technocrats to work together with mutual respect and understanding. Only in this way can real reform be achieved,” he said.
Obasanjo also stressed the need for continuity of personnel, saying: “The greatest pain of reform is discontinuity. Continuity of personnel is essential. Reform is a lifelong process, a journey, not a destination.”
He praised the outgoing and incoming service chiefs and said: “I am happy that one lady is handing over to another. For me, we are achieving our goals and we will definitely achieve our goals.”
“I will continue to respect the Nigerian public service institutions, especially the technocrats, until I die,” he said.
In a keynote address, the Director General of the Federal Civil Service, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, stressed the importance of understanding why many reforms in Nigeria have failed and how to address these challenges.
“Reforming a system can be difficult and there will be challenges. We have to recognise that there is no infallible system and reform is an ongoing process,” she said.
Isan identified several obstacles to the implementation of reform programmes in Nigeria, including the lack of an inclusive implementation strategy, inadequate funding and resistance to change.
She highlighted the efforts of the Office of the Service Chief to address these challenges, including extensive stakeholder consultations, governance structures and capacity building for reform initiatives.
Highlighting the key elements of a successful reform program, Ehsan said: “Systems and support structures, partnerships, high-level monitoring, capacity building, compensation systems and change management strategies are all key to success.”
She also acknowledged progress in restructuring the civil service, saying: “We must recognise and commend the good work of our officers and partners, while punishing indiscipline and poor performance.”
In his welcome speech at the foundation’s national seminar,
“This is not their public service, this is your public service, this is our public service, understand that the more it strengthens, the more you will also strengthen,” said Aigboje Aig Imuhude, Chairman of the Aig Imuhude Foundation.
Aig-Imoukhuede stressed the importance of efficient and proactive public services for achieving good governance, production and distribution of public goods, formulation and implementation of economic policies, and management of public expenditure.
He noted that Nigeria currently ranks 161st out of 189 countries in the Human Development Index, which reflects the government’s performance over the decades.
He stressed the need for a strong public service, saying: “That is what is holding us back. You will agree that there is a correlation between the strength of a country’s public sector and the strength of the country.”
Agge-Imuquide also highlighted the foundation’s efforts to transform public service delivery, including training a large number of public sector leaders, providing technical support and funding for digitalization efforts, and improving the skills of thousands of civil servants.
He called on all stakeholders to join hands and commit to reforming the public service, saying: “This conversation does not end here. In fact, the Nigerian public sector reform project is here to be relaunched.”
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