2 days ago
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KATSINA: Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, the Governor of Katsina state has urged Members of the State Executive Council to give matters affecting their respective offices, citizens top priority and become agents of change in the State.
Governor Radda gave the charge in a keynote address at the opening of a 2-Day Retreat for Members of Katsina State Executive Council and Permanent Secretaries in Kaduna on Thursday.
He emphasized that, his administration since assumption has expressed commitment to rebuilding public service confidence to make it an effective instrument of good governance, accountability and monitoring of service delivery.
“Our goal was to encourage workers in the State to restore and build confidence in handling matters affecting their respective offices. We desired to make workers under Katsina State consider themselves as change agents that will serve as vehicles to our destination,” the Governor added.
On the challenges of outdated systems, he said, “Part of our major challenges include the use of archaic policy documents, circulars etc that can no longer stand the test of time.”
To this end, he explained that, his administration has introduced a comprehensive Blueprint outlining new policies and programmes, while also reviewing existing frameworks to align with contemporary needs.
The Governor emphasized the importance of capacity building, stating that, “The need for training and retraining cannot be overemphasized”, stressing out that, the retreat aims to “salvage the public service in line with the New Public Management (NPM) Reform which is designed to make it more transparent and accountable.”
While highlighting the establishment of the Community Development Programme, he said “Communities will be given the opportunity to decide the best projects to be executed in their Communities and as well provide them with the opportunity to execute them.”
Radda affirmed that funds have been earmarked for allocation to each ward to execute their desired projects across the 34 Local Government Areas.
He however lauded the strong synergy developed with the State House of Assembly and Judiciary, noting that this collaboration has been crucial in “oiling the machinery of Government that makes it very successful.”
On monitoring and evaluation, the Governor stated that, “I made it a duty to constantly go round the State and inspect ongoing projects as well as discuss with people in the Communities on the success or otherwise of our policies and projects.”
In his paper titled “The Role of Public Servants in Advancing Good Governance and Attitudinal Change for Sustainable Development in Katsina State,” Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, Chairman and Founder of Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development (SCDDD), explained how public servant transforms service delivery in office.
Professor Gambari stressed the essential role of civil servants in achieving Governor Radda’s vision, stating that, “The Executive Governor, as the number one Public Servant in Katsina State, cannot accomplish his campaign slogan of ‘Building Your Future’ without the change of attitude, commitment and collaboration of you the top civil servants and his own carefully selected trusted appointees as public servants.”
On the need for systemic change, Professor Gambari announced a decisive shift from past practices, “We shall change the past attitude from working for the few privileged class to working to build the future that promises maximum efficient public goods and services for the greatest number of Katsina people as envisaged in the Government’s 20-Year Development Plan.”
The retreat also featured presentations from other prominent academics, industry experts and public service professionals with years of experience in advancing good governance and sustainable development that include; Prof. Mohammed Yahaya Kuta, Prof. Hassan A. Saliu, Amb. Abdullahi A. Omaki, Dr. Julius Jibril Bala, Amb. Sani Bala, Mr. Frank Nweke, Brig-Gen Sani U Kuka Sheka (Rtd) amongst others.
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