Make workers’ welfare top priority, Head of Service urges MDAs

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, has called on all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to prioritise welfare of workers to promote productivity and national development.

Yemi-Esan made this call at the Commissioning of Welfare Building, constructed by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in Abuja on Wednesday.

The welfare building comprising a clinic, staff canteen and a recreational sports centre, was made possible with funds from the ministry’s corporate partners.

According to her, civil servants are the engine of national development and they are expected to be indispensable, hence the importance of maximum productivity.

Yemi-Esan commended the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for creating a model by prioritising the welfare of its workers and urged other MDAs to replicate such in their vicinities.

She said the objective of reforming and prioritising welfare was to increase its effectiveness and efficiency to promote economic and national development.

“Civil service is the engine room for national development and the organ through which the nation executes its plans, policies and programmes.

“The service is expected to remain indispensable and do its work quietly.

”However, this is about the first time where I have seen a ministry that gives great importance to the drivers of this indispensable service,” she said.

The head of service said the contributions of the corporate partners which included development partners as a corporate social responsibility was laudable and called for accountability at all dealings.

Mr Suleiman Adamu, the Minister of Water Resources, commended efforts of all stakeholders toward making the building a reality, saying it was a laudable project.

He said that the facility was an evidence of the ministry’s continued commitment to enhancing staff welfare, adding that the ministry had fulfilled ILO recommendations on occupational health and safety.

“Our commitment to improving the status of occupational health, safety and recreation in the workplace is founded on our very strong belief that health is wealth.

“It takes a healthy populace to build a prosperous society.

”In addition to being of benefit to workers, we are convinced that the healthy alternatives offered in this building will eventually result in increased workplace productivity,” he said.

Adamu said that the ministry had put a reward and sanction committee in place to motivate officers in his ministry to give their best all the time.

Mr Benjamin Anthony, the Representative, National Public Sector Joint Negotiating Council, said there was need for constant recreation and exercise for workers to be totally productive.

He said the feat achieved was opening another phase in the civil service.

He called on the ministry’s staff to make maximum use of the facility for their total wellbeing.