By Esther Akaa
The Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule has announced an end-of-year bonus for civil servants and the 13 Local Government Areas of the State.
He made the declaration during the commemoration of the Nasarawa State Civil Service Week in Lafia, the State capital.
Governor Sule, however, did not specify the amount of the bonus explaining that it was dependent on the negotiations with the local governments.
He said, “I don’t want to go ahead and say that I am paying 13 months and LGAs will say they can only pay 30 to 40 percent. So, because of that, we will ask the LGAs to go and do their due process, and find out how much they saved and tell me what percentage they can pay. The moment they tell me this is the percentage they can pay, that is exactly what the state can get,” he said.
The governor noted that the civil service week had offered an opportunity to appraise the civil service of the State as not just a workforce, but a living institution made up of people who should be committed to excellence, integrity, and innovation.
“I should mention that in this age of global digital transformation, no government can afford to operate without data tools, methods, and mindset.
“The civil service must evolve into a smart, technology-driven, and data-informed organisation capable of responding swiftly and effectively to the needs of the good people of Nasarawa state”, he stated.
The governor said his administration has approved and implemented the backlog of all promotions to restore hope and fairness to the system in recognition of the sacrifices of civil servants.
On her part, the State Head of Civil Service, Barr Abigail Waya, commended Governor Sule’s support and promised to institutionalise the Civil Service Week.
She tasked civil servants on dedication and punctuality and urged them to obtain the new public service rule to guide them in the course of discharging their duties.
Comfort David, Amina Idris, and Chinasa Azubini were among the Civil Servants who were rewarded by the Governor for dedication and punctuality in the service at the occasion.