PROTOCOLS
I warmly welcome you all to this Induction Training programme for Permanent Secretaries, both old and new. This programme has been put together to give us the opportunity to discuss freely and proffer solutions to issues that affect Permanent Secretaries in the efficient and effective administration of their MDA’s.
- Over time my office has observed recurring tension between Permanent Secretaries and other Stakeholders in Public Sector Administration, such as Ministers and their Aides, members of the National Assembly, Heads of Extra – Ministerial Agencies domiciled under them and organized Labour Unions. It has been observed that there are gaps that need to be filled to minimise areas of conflict. There is also an urgent need to rebuild mutual trust and confidence amongst all parties concerned, to enhance efficient service delivery to Nigerian citizens.
- Permanent Secretaries have three generic roles as the Administrative Heads, Policy Advisers and Accounting Officers in the various MDA’s. These roles come with a lot of challenges, especially in this era of dwindling financial resources and escalating competing demands. For Permanent Secretaries to play their roles effectively there is need to assist them to build their capacities, by participating in programmes of this nature, on a regular basis.
- The objectives of this programme are:
- To acquaint participants with their roles as
Administrative and Accounting officers in their respective Ministries;
- To enable participants be reminded of their approval
limits in terms of payment and procurement thresholds;
iii. To enable participants be properly informed on how
best to handle the knotty challenges that normally
arise in their dealings with all Stakeholders;
- To keep participants abreast with contemporary
issues in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative; and
- To provide an opportunity for participants to benefit
from ideas and experiences of both retired /serving
Permanent Secretaries and other professionals in
Public Administration.
- This programme has been carefully designed and packaged to address these concerns while giving Permanent Secretaries the rare opportunity of interacting in a relaxed atmosphere, which they rarely have time to do. The following topics have been selected to address the identified challenges:
- The Roles and Responsibilities of Permanent Secretaries as Accounting Officers;
- Accounting Officers and Approval Thresholds (Payment
and Procurement Thresholds)
iii. Public Private Partnership (PPP): An Additional
Strategy for National Development;
- The Role of Permanent Secretaries as Chief Policy
Advisers to Ministers;
- Managing Relationship between Permanent Secretaries and Labour Unions in Ministries, Extra Ministerial Departments and Agencies;
- Managing relationships with Political Appointees and members of the National Assembly; and
vii. Federal Civil Service Strategy Implementation Plan: The Role of Permanent Secretaries.
- I sincerely hope and believe that this will be the first in these series of training programmes, as there is a plan for a Joint Retreat of Ministers and Permanent Secretaries in the near future, as soon as the required funds are available.
- I wish to seize this opportunity to thank our partners from the public and private sector, Central Bank of Nigeria and Hewlett Packard for their immense contributions towards the successful conduct of this Induction Training programme. I also wish to thank members of the Planning Committee for their painstaking efforts in putting this programme together.
- I enjoin you all to be focused and make salient contributions during this programme so that a new roadmap will be drawn for cordial and harmonious relationships and increased productivity in the Public sector. I wish you all happy and successful deliberations. Thank you and God bless.
Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
