Jonathan charges new Head of Service on reform, corruption

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday inaugurated the new Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, charging him to complete the ongoing reform in the service in line with his administration’s transformation agenda.
Stressing the importance of the civil service to the realisation of his transformation agenda, the President enjoined Aji to curtail corruption and indiscipline as well as enhance efficient service delivery.
Jonathan said: “I will want to especially draw your attention to the ongoing reforms aimed at our nation’s rapid economic development.
“As you set about your duties, the expectation of the government and our people is that you will now build on the achievement’s of your predecessors so as to complete on-going reforms.
“In particular, you must focus on those sectors that will help the administration to deliver with urgency believes and benefits which are the core of our survival as a people, such as agriculture, infrastructure, education, health amongst others.’
Jonathan also stressed the need to pursue with vigour, “the true implementation of the performance management system in the civil service,” noting that its “full implementation will positively improve the ability of civil servants to discharge their responsibilities.”
According to the President, Aji was taking over leadership of the service at a time when government was taking stock of what has been accomplished so far in meeting the desires and aspirations of the people.
He therefore, urged him to accelerate action and increase articulation of those things that were still outstanding in the development of Nigeria.
Recalling that the civil service used to parade the best brains, President Jonathan tasked Aji to “work hard to bring back that type of civil service in the interest of our nation.
“It is in this regard I want to call on all civil servants to lend you their unalloyed support especially the permanent secretaries that will work with you and cooperate in the movement of greater efficiency, dedication, patriotism in service.
“My prayer is that let the end of your tenure be heralded as an era of remarkable improvement in the quality of service in our country.”
Speaking with State House correspondents after the swearing in, Aji said his
“immediate priority as directed by the President is to reposition the Civil Service for the attainment of the objectives under the transformation agenda of government.
“And how we intend to do this is that we will slightly depart from the way we do things in the past.
“We will emphasise on fast tracking the processes so that we will ensure there are concrete outcomes for our people to see and that is the immediate priority that I will put my attention to.”
Aji lauded his predecessors for doing “excellent job in this direction and for us to continue to gain the confidence of Nigerians.”