The Federal Government on Monday expressed its commitment to revamp the Service Compact (SERVICOM) agency to ensure effective and efficient public service delivery in the country.
Mr Babachir Lawal, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) made this known in Abuja at the National Policy Dialogue on Strategies for Improving Service Delivery in Government Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Commissions.
The event which was tagged: “Efficient and Effective Service Delivery: Imperative for Driving the Change Agenda’’ was organised by SERVICOM to brainstorm on ways to boost citizen focused service delivery.
SERVICOM is an acronym derived from the words SERVICE COMPACT, an initiative of the Federal Government developed out of the consensus emerging from a Special Presidential Retreat on Service Delivery.
It is an agreement between the Federal Government and the citizens to guide and sustain the drive for improved service delivery by ensuring that MDAs are more citizen-focused in their operations.
According to Lawal, the revamping of the agency will mark a significant step in government’s effort to enhance and sustain the culture of effective service delivery in all government establishments, to serve the people better.
He said that the dialogue was timely as the existence of SERVICOM initiative would be appraised and frameworks developed to improve public service delivery.
“The importance of our gathering today is to reflect on Nigeria’s public service delivery journey in the past 12 years of the SERVICOM Initiative, appraise the gains and setbacks.
“Also to develop a framework that will translate governments’ efforts into to tangible improvements in public service delivery.
“Therefore, I urge you to kindly embrace Government’s reaffirmation of the ideals of SERVICOM, by developing a holistic framework to facilitate the anticipated improvements in performance by MDAs as a precursor for better service delivery,’’he said.
He noted that improving service delivery was part of the change agenda of the present administration, adding that it would enhance government’s connection with the citizenry.
The SGF said there was need to sensitise citizens on their rights to demand high quality services; and articulate new pathways for gaining more efficiency in service delivery.
He noted that this could be done through a review of Global best practices in governance and periodic evaluation of the quality of services delivered to citizens.
Earlier, Mrs Nnenna Akajemeli, Acting National Coordinator, SERVICOM said that a citizen centred approach in service delivery would be adopted in reviving the agency.
She added that the redesigning the internal processes of government agencies was imperative to achieving the set goal.
Akajemeli also said that to ensure the change agenda of the present administration public servants should see themselves as servants of the citizenry and not masters.
“Public Service in this democratic dispensation comes with legitimate expectations of the populace and the meeting of such needs and expectations is the fundamental objective of this administration.
“ In order to achieve this there must be re-orientation of government institutions to optimise access to their sectors by all citizens.
“There must be shift in public service culture orientating public servants to view themselves as servants of citizenry rather than masters as government recognises the need to deliver high quality efficient service delivery at reduced cost’’, she said.
Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, Head Civil Service of the Federation, said that before the establishment of SERVICOM Nigerians were surcharged in the service delivered to them.
She added that Nigerians deserve better service delivery, saying that the present administration is committed to revamping of SERVICOM.
She noted that the dialogue was timely, when focus was on enhancing effective and efficient service delivery to all Nigerians which was critical to the change agenda.
