Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, on Saturday, said she is excited over the construction of a new nine- storey state secretariat by Bayelsa State.
Mrs. Walson-Jack said when completed, the iconic structure would go down in memory, as an exciting legacy of the Governor Douye Diri administration.
She stated this when she performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the project in Yenagoa.
According to her, the event was a special, and significant milestone to her as she had served in the state’s public service, and felt a sense of nostalgia to witness the historic foundation-laying ceremony.
She said: “The civil service is the engine of government, providing the expertise, and structure necessary for effective governance. A well-motivated, and efficient civil service requires capable personnel, robust policies, and an enabling work environment that clusters professionalism, collaboration and innovation.”
The head of service stressed that the project was a testament to the state government’s commitment to strengthening the institutional framework that underpins governance, and service delivery.
“This new state secretariat is a commendable effort, to provide public servants with a conducive workplace environment. I applaud the Bayelsa State government for its dedication to infrastructure development.
“This project aligns with the broader vision of strengthening the Nigerian civil service at both the state, and federal levels to deliver people-centred governance.”
Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, said the secretariat complex, will be an electronic secretariat, noting that the cost of the project is N46 billion.
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He stated that the state government had already mobilised the contractors with 30 percent of the project sum, and had directed the release of another 20 percent as soon as it commences work on site.
Gov. Diri, who assured that funding for the project will not be a problem, said the timeline for delivery was 24 months, and charged workers in the state to reciprocate the state government’s support for their welfare, and well-being.
“What propelled me to build a new secretariat was the civil servants’ request for office accommodation, which became a recurring decimal every Workers’ Day in the state,” the governor disclosed.
He expressed delight that with the construction of the new secretariat, labour unions would no longer complain of inadequate office space for civil servants in the state.