The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has restated that the Federal Government is placing optimum premium on the welfare of civil servants by the payment of wage awards in line with current socio-economic realities.
The Director of Information and Public Relations in the Justice Ministry, Modupe Ogundoro, revealed in a press statement that Fagbemi stated this while delivering a keynote address at the Ministerial Service Award for Justice Sector in commemoration of the Nigerian public service held in Abuja on Friday.
The AGF, who assured that the Tinubu Administration would continue to confer exceptional status on civil servants in the country, assured further that in view of their commitments to nation buildings, the government will continue to promote an enabling environment for them.
The initiative which is being institutionalised is the first by any sitting President, he said.
Represented by the Solicitor-General Federation and Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba, the minister noted: “The idea of a Public Service Award is in furtherance of the mission statement of the service as fashioned out by the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
He added: “The current administration in the country is quite keen on promoting an enabling environment for its workforce as well as creating opportunities for sustainable economic development.”
The minister reminded the recipients and other staff of the government’s desire for an efficient workforce that is merit-based accountable and responsive to the citizens and other stakeholders.
The ceremony also had a lecture titled, “Digitisation of work Processes in the Public Service: A Gateway to Efficient Resource Utilisation and National Development,” delivered by the Director-General of the National Productivity Centre, Dr. Nasir Raji-Mustapha.
Representative of the Head of Service, Mrs J.C. Ozuru, in her brief remarks, said the award is not about the money but recognition, which is much more than money.
She urged other ministries and agencies to take a clue from the Federal Ministry of Justice and celebrate their staff.
Speaking earlier, the Director of Human Resources Management, Mrs Mabel Erastus, said the the event underscored efforts of the Federal Government towards rewarding staff of the ministry and its agencies.
At the ceremony, 48 recipients from directorate cadre and middle cadre, who cut across ministry and agencies of the justice sector, were honored and awarded with plaques of excellence.
Among the dignitaries that graced the occasion from agencies were the Chairman of the National Drug, Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig Buba Marwa (rtd), DG of the Nigeria Law School, Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma, DG of the National Copyright Commission, Dr John Ose, DG of NAPTIP, Prof Fatima Waziri, DG of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu, SAN, and a host of others.
Mr Gazali Tijani Alkali, SAN, a Deputy Director in the ministry, who reacted on behalf of other recipients, thanked the government for the gesture, saying it would spur them to do more.
