Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, the out-going Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, has counselled the in-coming Head of the Civil Service, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, to operate an open door policy in order to carry all civil servants along.
Yemi-Esan, who gave this advice on Thursday in Abuja at the town hall meeting organised by Joint Union Negotiating Council in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation(OHCSF), advised Walson-Jack to open communication channels with the civil servants to ensure harmonious working environment and relationship.
According to her, “You can’t go wrong in being open to the civil servants.”
It would be recalled that Yemi-Esan tenure ends on August 13, 2024, as President Bola Tinubu had recently announced the appointment of Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, as the new Head of the Service Designate.
Going down the memory lane on her appointment as the Head of the Civil Service by former President Muhammadu Buhari five years ago, Yemi-Esan attributed her appointment as an act of God.
She said:”It is with pride that I stand here today to first of all, thank God who gave me the opportunity to serve my dear nation.
“In my years as a civil servant, I have never dreamt, never planned of becoming the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation , but in His own mercy, God deemed fit to appoint me.
“It was God alone that did it and I give Him all thanks for the opportunity.”
The Head of the Civil Service further attributed the significant achievements recorded in the implementation of the Federal Service Strategy and Implementation Plan(FSSIP 2021–2025) during her tenure to the cooperation and support she received from the Permanent Secretaries as well as entire civil servants.
Yemi-Esan, who underscored the need to improve the conditions of service for workers, added that “It is impossible to improve the Service without improving the welfare of civil servants.”
She noted that before her assumption of office that the morale of the civil servants was at the lowest ebb, noting that such has significantly improved due to reforms introduced.
Also speaking, the Head of the Civil Service designate, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, showered enconiums on the out-going Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
Walson-Jack pointed out that Yemi-Esan represented core values in the Civil Service such as accountability, meritocracy, professionalism, loyalty and efficiency.
In his remarks, President of Joint Union Negiotating Council in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Sylvester Abah, commended the Head of the Civil Service for promoting the atmospere of peace in the Civil Service.
As part of improving the welfare of the civil servants, Abah commended the out-going Head of the Civil Service for introducing Agricultural Entrepreneurship Programme, peculiar allowance, Wellness Centre for them, which have enhanced the living standard of workers.
