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Nation’s Dev, Reflection Of Performance – Afolabi

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Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF)  Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, said on Thursday in Abuja that the level of development of any nation was a reflection of the performance or non-performance of its public service.

Afolabi made the remark at a sensitisation forum on “The National Strategy for Public Service Reforms (NSPSR) for States’ Heads of Service organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms.

“ You are aware; government has made and continues to make policy decisions to improve governance at all levels.

“However, the success of these measures will depend essentially on the public service as government cannot achieve its developmental objectives without a high performing public service.

“It is a truism that societies will fail if their governments are ineffective, just as governments are prone to failure if their public service is ineffective.

“It is, therefore, our duty to take all such measures that are necessary to make our public service an important contributor in the political, economic and social advancement of our nation.’’

Afolabi said that it was in recognition of this fact that his office took steps to ensure that only cost-effective reform programmes were initiated and implemented in its drive to transform the Nigerian public service.

He explained that it was in that regard that the office of the HOCSF partnered with the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) in 2008 to develop the NSPSR.

“The NSPSR provides a common vision and long-term agenda to guide the re-building and transformation of the Nigerian public service into a world class standard by the year 2020.

“The strategy document framework is derived from the Vision-20:2020, the NEEDS-2 document and the seven-point agenda of government.

“Today’s forum is primarily aimed at acquainting the states’ Heads of Service on the contents of the NSPSR,’’ he added.

Earlier, Mr Dauda Kigbu, Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, said that it was important for top government functionaries at the federal and state levels to meet and exchange ideas.

He added that it was also important to share experiences on partnership and collaborations, which were needed for sustainable development.

Kigbu said that the forum would create a common platform for the effective discussion of the essential elements of the strategy document, particularly its strategic priorities.

“We expect that at the end of the forum, there will be a common understanding of the philosophy, significance and rationale behind the NSPSR.

Our source reports that participants from more than 25 states of the federation are attending the workshop.

He said that in a short while, the result will be obvious  with respect to extortion from motorists, because the command will soon descend heavily on those officers that man the roads.

The commissioner described the PCRS as a veritable body for police and community partnership towards solving problems relating to safety of the community, adding that security is every body’s problem, and that there is a lot of benefits for partnering with the community for effective information and proper policing.

Earlier in his speech, the chairman of the PCRC Rivers State, Austin E. Young, said one major problem his administration has discovered and is tackling in the last one year of coming on board was the issue of distrust among officers and PCRC members, but noted that the police alone can not do the work effectively with out partnership with the community.

The Chairman also said that the Month of March 2011 will be declared or campaign for free, fair and violent-free election, and urged leaders to ensure safety in their communities.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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