Fashola Proposes Competitive Entrance into Civil Service Directorship Cadre

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola has urged that competition into the selection of directors in the Civil Service should be keen in order to pick the best leaders that can solve problems.

He tabled the proposal yesterday at the 2021 awards ceremony of the civil service innovation competition held in Abuja.

In his goodwill message, Fashola suggested more attention should be paid to those who enter the Civil Service directorate cadre before thinking of whom will be the Permanent Secretary.

“The meaning of a Director is someone who leads, who directs; not somebody who wants to be directed or told what to do. It is a cadre that we should pay attention to,” Fashola said.

The minister said as people that drive government policy, the process for the selection of those seeking to get picked from assistant directorship should be extremely competitive.

He commended the organisation of the innovation challenge and setting up of task teams in civil service, saying innovation solves problem and provides solution.

The Head of Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan said the Federal Civil Service Innovation Challenge is an open-ended space of possibilities and opportunities capable of being explored and harnessed to evolve a technology driven civil service that provides more efficient, effective and citizen-friendly services.

She said the Nigerian public sector as the largest service provider in the country is gifted with a crop of the brightest and innovative minds that can compete anywhere in the world.

The theme of this year’s competition was: “Generate Revenue and Reduce Cost of Governance in the Federal Civil Service.”

A total number of 27 teams with minimum of two and maximum of seven members who shared common interests and ideas participated.

The first place with the cash prize in the sum of N5 million was won by Eco Green Africa Team of Dorathy Ukemezia and Chinedu Ijeomah from Ministry of Environment.

Their design, an innovative waste management technology in the work place was adjudged the winning entry.

Evolution Team from Ministry of Water Resources finished second with the cash prize of N3 million with their design of the Federal Civil Service Electronic, while Xceptional from Communications and Digital Economy got N1million with design of E-Notice App. The sum of N250, 000 each went to 10 top performers as consolation prizes.