President Goodluck Jonathan has urged the Federal Civil Service to first transform itself before it can play its critical role in efforts towards national transformation.
Jonathan made this known Sunday night at the 2013 Civil Service Week Dinner/Award Night which held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The President, who was represented by his Vice, Namadi Sambo, emphasised the need to check the rot and unethical practices in the service in line with his administration’s zero tolerance policy on corruption.
Jonathan, in his speech read by Sambo, said the theme for the week-long celebration: “African Public Service in the Age of Open Government: Giving Voice to Citizens”, was timely and appropriate.
He said: “I am aware that the Federal Civil Service is the critical vehicle in our efforts to transform Nigeria. The service must first transform itself in order to be able to achieve that role.”
According to the president, “it is imperative to clean up the service of those found to be bringing dishonour to it if we are to achieve high levels of responsiveness in meeting the needs of the people and the commitment to zero-tolerance policy on corruption”.
