The Inauguration of the EXCO of the Correspondents’ Chapel of NUJ, was held
today at Eliel Centre Jos. below is the Speech of the Executive Governor of Plateau State.
ADDRESS OF THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF
PLATEAU STATE, RT. HON. SIMON BAKO LALONG AT THE INUAGURATION OF THE NEW
EXECUTIVES AND FUND RAISING OF THE CORRESPONDENTS’ CHAPEL OF N.U.J. PLATEAU
STATE COUNCIL ON TUESDAY, THE 22ND AUGUST, 2017 AT THE ELIEL CENTRE,
GOLD AND BASE, RAYFIELD, JOS
PROTOCOL
It
is my esteemed privilege to address you today on the occasion of the Inauguration
of the New Executives of the Correspondents’ Chapel and your Appeal Fund Launch
for the purchase of a bus to ease your mobility for media activities.
Let
me join you in welcoming on behalf of the State, all distinguished invitees who
have deemed this programme worthy of their time and have so graced it in person
or in representative capacity.
The
Media as the Fourth Estate of the realm is a critical player in the development
of democracies across the globe and Nigeria is certainly no exception. The
world over, one of the key elements of good democracy is a free press and this
has been strengthened in Nigeria with the freedom of Information Act, and the
participation of the Nigerian Union of Journalist in Election sensitization,
monitoring and mandate protection. Members of the NUJ have responsibly deployed
access to information whether solicited or unsolicited, to ensure that the right
to know of the citizenry is guaranteed. This responsible act of Journalism when
professionally done to compel accountable leadership in governance, and to
drive development is no doubt a commendable act of good citizen’s journalism.
May
I at this point commend members of the Correspondents Chapel for the stormless
and seamless transition from one set of Executive to another, even though this
transition is more of continuity in office for the Executive. I must say the
vote of confidence is an eloquent appreciation of the service you have rendered
in the past as well as an open requisition for better service now. Continuity
when progressive in nature adds value and allows the occupants of office to do
much more than they have done before; after all, like the saying goes, the
reward for good work is more work.
It
is my expectation therefore that the opportunity of this second mandate will
spur the new Executive to inject a new lease of life into the activities of the
Chapel, with new innovations, programmes
and actions that will leave the Union better than you met it.
I
see the choice of your Theme for this Inauguration which is “The
Nigerian Civil Service Reforms and the Challenge of a New Nigeria” as
very apt and a value addition to the governance process in our State and the Country
at large. The underlying philosophy of any reform is change and the change must
be a progressive change, one that adds value and enhances service delivery
within the Public Sector.
Preceding
independence and starting with the Hunt Commission of 1934 down to the Steve
Orasanya Committee under President Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria has had up to 16
Commissions and Civil Service Reform Committees. Notable amongst these are the
ADEBO, UDOJI, and the PHILIP Reports which were so popularized because of their
focus on the welfare and career needs of the Public Service.
The
focus generally of government public service reform cover issues of providing a
working environment for effective and efficient service delivery, reducing
government cost of operations, employment generations, value re-orientation,
guaranteeing career progressions, wealth creation and re-structuring of
Government Bureaucracies to check service conflicts that arise as a result of duplication
and multiplicity of roles amongst others. These are issues that our Rescue
Administration in the State have also battled with, and for which drastic
measures had to be taken to address on our assumption of office.
Under
our Good Governance intervention as a part of the Peace, Security and Good
Governance Policy Thrust, we had to reposition the Civil Service for her
traditional role of service delivery, devoid of the politicization of her
bureaucracy. We inherited a service where statutory functions of Agencies were
performed by Politically created appendages of power and a service where career
progression where governed by all manners of interest less than experience and
professionalism. These amongst others created apathy, gross indiscipline,
corruption and the total loss of work ethics within the system. This we
addressed headlong and we now have a work force that is reinvigorated, for
service delivery with some good measure of satisfaction.
It
is my expectation that at the end of this programme, the recommendations from
the keynote address would be placed pari pasu with our reform policies in the
State and peered reviewed by the NUJ, so
from it further recommendations can be made to government through the office of
the Head of Civil Service. I assure you that we remain ever willing to do the
needful on these recommendations to enhance the quality of service that will
come from the Civil Service of the State.
As
I conclude, I want to further assure the entirety of the Nigerian Union of
Journalist and indeed all others in the Broadcast Industry, that we are not
only willing but continually ready, to engage in sustained partnership that
would help us as a government, to deliver on our promises to the electorates.
We do not see members of the Press as foes but as friends and partners in
progress. So while in the midst of scarce resources and competing demands, we
struggle to address the challenges you face in the performance of your duties,
our limited response should rather be viewed in the light of our current
economic challenge than in the perspective of the size of our contribution
reflecting the premium we place on the organization.
Our
doors as a government will continue to remain open to constructive criticism
and engagement, particularly those driven by citizens concern for good
governance.
Finally,
I wish you an eventful tenure in office and I pray for the grace to excel in
your duties.
Thank
you and God bless.
Rt.
Hon. Simon Bako Lalong
Executive
Governor