By Ahmed Idris
The federal government has commenced skill-retooling workshop for Directors and Desk Officers in charge of manpower planning and budgeting in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Speaking at the opening session of the programme in Abuja, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, said the training was organised to institutionalise effective manpower planning and budgeting in the federal civil service in line with the 2017/2020 Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP).
Represented at the workshop by the Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, Mr. Ayodele O. Folayan, the Head of Service said the programme is also aimed at building capacity and inculcating in civil servants the right competencies in the real process of reviewing manpower needs with a view to addressing challenges associated with manpower planning and budgeting.
“The right manning level with the appropriate skills set is a much needed pre-requisite to actualize the lofty ideals enshrined in Mr. President’s Agenda for the Nigerian Civil Service and the transformation of the Civil Service as envisaged in the new reform initiative under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Pan, 2017-2020,” she said.
She said an overview of the civil service manpower planning has shown recurring trend of inaccurate data base, poor statistics, unrealistic forecasts, extraneous influences with resultant overstaffing, and over-bloated budgetary allocations to cater for salaries, incomes, wages and other related fringe benefits of civil servants.
She said the new civil service ethos of Efficient, Productive Incorruptible and Citizen-centred Service (EPICS) must be brought to bear in determining appropriate manning levels and checking the recurring unrealistic manpower needs assessment undertaken by MDAs.
