Nigeria Content Online

President Goodluck
Jonathan yesterday declared that indiscipline and corruption will no
longer be tolerated in the public civil service and that no institution
of government is above the law.

He also expressed
dissatisfaction with the acrimony between the office of the head of the
civil service of the federation and the federal civil service
commission, which he said has led to gross indiscipline.

The president made
this declaration during the swearing-in ceremony of the new head of
service, Oladapo Afolabi, and three new permanent secretaries, Mathilda
Nkechi Ejele, Taye Hassan Haruna, and Abdulkadir Musa.

“Let me reiterate
that no institution of government is above the law, and public servants
must appreciate the effect of their actions on the polity,” Mr.
Jonathan said.

“Our public
servants must learn to respect laws guiding their assignments and
eschew unproductive actions that will affect service delivery,” he
added.

Congratulating the
new HOS, Mr. Jonathan said Mr. Afolabi was one of the highly qualified
candidates who are part of the rich history of the Nigerian Civil
Service.

“I expect the
Nigerian Civil Service to cooperate with him. I urge the new head of
service to also work closely with his colleagues, while I implore the
new permanent secretaries, and indeed other permanent secretaries, to
assist their ministers,” he said.

He said the civil
service made considerable progress under the last head of service, and
that he expects to see the continuation of positive pursuit of same to
ensure that Nigeria has a service that is accountable, professional,
and effective.

“The civil service
is the engine room of government and is responsible for implementing
policies. Executing of government decisions and the quality of
governance is, therefore, as good as the quality of the civil service.

“This is why your
appointment is uniquely important to the progress and stability of
national development. I, and indeed all Nigerians, expect only the very
best from you. We are at a critical point in the development of this
country when we must improve the quality of our policies and efficiency
of implementation,” he said.