PUBLIC SERVANTS CHARGED TO MAKE SERVICE DELIVERY TIMELY, ACCURATE AND ACCESSIBLE FOR THE CITIZENS.

Public Servants in the State have been charged to make their services timely, accurate, accessible and more Customer-focused for a more efficient and effective service delivery in the State.

The Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola stated this during the 2019 Service Charter Week, the sixth in the series of the annual Service Charter Week organized by the Office of Transformation, Creativity and Innovation (OTCI),to ensure that Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) comply with specific service standards needed to actualize the mission and vision of the State.

According to him, this year’s edition of the Service Charter Week is a call for MDAs to re-visit the achievements recorded over the years in line with their Service Pledges, to see how services can be better managed for efficiency and effectiveness, while also proffering enduring solutions to gaps limiting service delivery targets.

The Head of Service who was represented by the Permanent secretary, Public Service Office (P.S.O),Mr. Ajibade Olusegun Samson added that although there have been improvements with regards to service delivery in the State, despite these improvements, there still exist gaps that must be addressed, such that expected outcomes meet set standards.

“ We must up our game in terms of quality of service delivery in order to ensure that Government’s investments in facilitating improvements in the Ease of Doing Business, for instance, does not go to waste”, he noted.

While emphasizing the need for relevant information about services rendered to be made more accessible to customers, the HoS added that it is also important to identify and understand how to manage change as well as potential attendant risks to quality service delivery within the MDAs.

While commending the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for his commitment to excellent service delivery; the leadership and officers of the Office of Transformation, Creativity and Innovation (OTCI) for being the driving force behind the implementation of this laudable initiative; the HoS expressed his sincere appreciation and gratitude to all the Sponsors and Technical Partners for their continuous support in driving the Lagos State Service Charter Initiative.

In his remark, the Director General, Office of Transformation, Creativity and Innovation, Mr. Toba Otusanya said the decision to introduce and use the Service Charter in all MDAs in Lagos was informed by the State’s desire to improve service delivery in MDAs to all citizens of Lagos.

He added that there was need to empower citizens by increasing their awareness of government services, encouraging them to demand same and challenging government officials to improve customer sensitivity as public service providers.

The DG noted that OTCI being the Custodian of this initiative is determined to stimulate continuous improvement in service delivery by promoting principles of quality service delivery in MDAs and inculcating the concepts of transparency, accountability and responsiveness.

The DG who was represented by the Director, B.O.S (OTCI) Mrs. Adenike Adedoyin-Ajayi said since the Service Charter was established 7 years ago; several remarkable achievements have been recorded. Although we are no longer where we used to be, we are yet, not where we should be. There is therefore need for us to go back to the drawing board and re-strategize on how we can improve on our services to make them 21st century compliant.

“As a service-oriented institution, poor service delivery puts us at a risk of not attaining best- in- class status in our processes and undertakings”, he said.

“Effective Service Management then becomes a vital tool in ensuring compliance with set standards and principles of management to improve our services, taking into consideration the major changes in the economy and the new role of government”, he added.

Emphasizing the need to address issues bothering on service management in relation to service pledges and its effect on customers, the DG said the need to put in place Service Improvement Plans that can be truly sustained cannot be over-emphasized.

According to him, the theme of this year’s Service Charter Week, ”Service Management: A Catalyst for Effective and Efficient Service Delivery” is therefore apt in ensuring our services are well managed in line with set standards, to yield the best possible outcome; and also address the service gaps; especially as it relates to improving the quality and efficiency of services delivered by Public Servants;  ensuring customer focus and relevance; monitoring and evaluating services delivered through the customer service windows; eliciting continued feedback from service users to guide service improvements; and re-examining our services and setting delivery standards and mechanisms for monitoring performance against targets set.

The DG encouraged members of the Public to forward feedbacks on service delivery challenges, to the Citizensgate online portal either as comments, enquires, suggestions, complaints, commendations, from their mobile / android phones from Google play store at (lagosstatecitizensgate or web via citizensgate.lagosstate.gov.ng.); or toll free number 767.

In a Paper presentation titled‘ Service Management: A Catalyst for Effective and Efficient Service Delivery’, the presenter, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs Boladele Dapo-Thomas emphasized the need for services to be managed effectively throughout their life cycle via Public Policy tools. She encouraged Public Servants to always manage effectively services rendered at their various MDAs, while also ensuring that their customers are well attended to.

The week long activity started with a Road Show to sensitize the Public Servants and the general public of the event and the purpose of the initiative; thereafter, the official flag-off and opening of the exhibition stand, at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, where all chartered MDAs showcased their services and offered free advice and services to people who visited their stands; day 3 of the event was the open day, an interactive session between MDAs and Public Servants, where solutions were proffered to issues encountered in the MDAs.

The Grand Finale was the Recognition and Reward Ceremony held at Memorable Garden Alausa, Ikeja; where individuals, MDAs and Private Organisations involved in the Service Charter were recognized and rewarded.

Among the individuals recognized and presented with awards were the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu , in recognition of  his outstanding contribution to the implementation of the Service Charter; his wife, the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu , in recognition of her outstanding leadership quality and operational excellence towards the Service Charter Initiative, while she was a Charter Champion and Medical Director; and  the Head of Service, Mr.Hakeem Muri-Okunola in recognition of his consistent support towards the Service Charter Initiative.

Chartered MDAs as well as Service Charter Champions were recognized for their contributions towards the Service Charter Initiative; while second phase MDAs/Service Delivery Units (SDUs) were given their Charter Champion recognition medals.

Also recognized were Unsung Heroes, people who were secretly monitored and had consistently demonstrated excellence in service delivery. One of such was a Security man with the Nigerian Legion, Mr. Solomon Shuaibu who had manned the Secretariat Exit Gate beside the State’s Treasury Office (STO), between 2018-2019; and was presented with a certificate and a cash reward, in recognition of his dedication, passion and commitment to work.

The 2019 Service Charter Week was attended by the representative of the Head of Service, the Permanent Secretary, Public Service Office (PSO), Mr. Ajibade Samson Olusegun; Permanent Secretary of Chartered MDAs; Charter Champions; Public Servants; representatives of Private Organizations that sponsored some of the activities of the Service Charter Week : United Capital Trustees; STL Trustees; Flour Mills Nigeria PLC; Heygate Press Ltd; ROLAC; Deloitte; Lagos State Civil Society Partnership (LACSOP); and Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFZDC).