Civil service rules need to be updated – Institute

Dr Abdul-Ganiyu Obatoyinbo, the Administrator of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, says there is need to amend the civil service rules in Nigeria in line with global best practices.
Obatoyinbo spoke with newsmen on Monday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja shortly after arrival from a bench-marking visit to Malaysia and Singapore.
He said that the training of civil servants also needed to be updated in tune with modern trends in civil service.
The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, recently led a high powered delegation consisting of top officials from Federal and State Governments on a one-week Bench Marking and Study visit to Malaysia and Singapore.
Oyo-Ita had said that the visit was part of efforts at achieving global best practices in Nigerian civil service.
Obatoyinbo said: “We discovered that most of our civil service legislation require amendment; we should try and update old civil service rules in view of the ICT world of today.
“Some of the legislations are no longer tenable; some the rules are no longer relevant.
“For us in PSIN-a training centre, we have also seen that the curriculum needs to be updated.
“We need to fine tune the curriculum and make sure that the training meets the analysis of everyone and in tandem with national policy; you do not just draw a training progrmme.
“Every civil servant must attend a training programme; it is a law.’’
Obatoyinbo said that the remarkable things about the Malaysian and Singaporean civil service were their commitment, `can do spirit’ and love for their country.
The administrator said that he believed that everything they saw in Singapore and Malaysia would be implemented as change agents for a better civil service in Nigeria.
Obatoyinbo said it was the first time delegates from the 36 states and the Federal Government were synergising on civil service reforms.

He lauded the Singaporean and Malaysia, civil service which he described as “models in the world in terms of civil service excellence’’.
On her part, Bariatu Mohammed, Head of Service, Kaduna State, who was a part of the delegation, said that they saw a lot of innovations in civil service in the two countries visited.
She said that Kaduna State had gone far in its reforms but there were areas of improvement.
Mohammed said: “I have found the integrity unit-which control the efficiency of in both Malaysia and Singapore very interesting especially in Singapore.
“They have rules and procedures similar to ours but they implement; they comply; our problem is that we do not comply with rules.
“I hope that I will be able to change the attitude of civil servants in Kaduna as well as the general public in Kaduna to start complying to rules and procedures.
“Another key aspect of civil service in both countries in quarterly training of civil servants.”
Deborah Ogunmola, Head of Service, Kogi State, who also spoke with newsmen, said that Malaysia and Singapore civil service developed because the people were committed dedicated and loved their country.
Ogunmola said: “We are going home to our various states to add value to ongoing reforms.’’