Ekiti State Government has given laptops to civil servants involved in personnel and payroll matters, just as it is organising an intensive training exercise for them beginning from Monday.
The public servants, who cut across Ministries, Departments and Agencies at both local and state levels are 400 in number.
Speaking at a meeting on Friday in Ado-Ekiti with directors of finance, administration and supply as well as chief internal auditors in the MDAs, the State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, said the step was part of efforts to re-invigorate the public service and boost the performance of workers in the sector.
“It is our determination to make the public service of the state stronger and more virile. We are going to constantly retrain our workforce and boost their morale too. The set of workers involved now are those handling personnel and pay roll issues. We don’t want a situation whereby there will be discrepancies in the number of people on the nominal roll and the pay roll.
“Workers in the local government will go for their training in Ilawe-Ekiti, while those in the service of the state are holding their programme at the College of Education in Ikere-Ekiti. I will personally monitor the exercise and I implore you all to take adequate advantage of the training.
“After the exercise, we will still meet to appraise it. We want an improved civil service and a stop to complaints that there are no laptops to work with. We have given laptops to those going for the training and they are not what you will give to your children or wards writing projects in their schools. To whom much is given, much is expected.” he said.
Governor Fayose said buses would be provided to convey the workers to the venues of their training.
He also said the training should not stop them from going to their offices.
“In the light of this, those on morning session of the training will return to their offices by noon, while those on afternoon session would be in their offices till 11am before going for their training. We are also making stipends available to you as a motivation, “he added.
Speaking on the occasion, the Head of Service, Dr Gbenga Faseluka, said 400 workers would benefit from the exercise.
“The essence is to promote the use of technology in doing our work. About 400 workers are benefiting from this set and we really thank and appreciate the governor for this gesture. This is another first that the administration has scored in the history of the state,” he noted.
A beneficiary, Mrs Victoria Fashe, said it would improve the performance of the civil servants.
“It will surely improve our performance and we will reciprocate the gesture by putting in our best. This is unprecedented in the history of the civil service in the state. We will not let the governor down,” she stated.
Another beneficiary, Mr Anifowoshe Busuyi Idowu, commended Governor Fayose for the step taken.
“I really commend Governor Ayodele Fayose for deeming it fit to let us embark on the training and for providing laptops for us as well. He understands that a competent civil service will serve effectively as the engine of the government and drive it faster and better. We will surely justify the confidence reposed in us,” he said.
The training exercise will last for seven working days after which an appraisal of the programme would follow.
