By Anne Azuka
Delta State Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme, has reiterated the state government’s commitment to the continuous training and retraining of civil servants to equip them with modern skills for effective service delivery.
Sir Onyeme stated this on Wednesday while declaring open a one-day workshop titled “Effective and Efficient Government Policy Formulation and Implementation” organized by the Office of the Senior Policy Adviser to the Governor, in Asaba.
The Deputy Governor noted that the workshop, designed for officers on Salary Grade Levels 15 to 17 in the Delta State Civil Service, is aimed at equipping participants with new knowledge and skills that will enhance government operations and improve service delivery.
He emphasized that the M.O.R.E. Agenda of the state government was carefully crafted to ensure good governance and prepare the state for future challenges.
According to him, “The theme of this workshop, ‘Understanding the MORE Agenda in Policy Formulation,’ is not only relevant but timely. I am particularly delighted to be here because we believe that learning is a continuous process. As it is often said, the moment one stops learning, one begins to decline.
“I commend the Office of the Senior Policy Adviser for organizing this initiative, and I am confident that the resource persons selected to speak today are seasoned professionals in their respective fields.
“To the participants, your presence here is not enough. I urge you to pay close attention to the lectures. You are expected not only to acquire new knowledge but to apply it meaningfully to enhance government operations. Share this knowledge with your colleagues and become true ambassadors of the MORE Agenda, working together to give Deltans more.”
In his welcome address, the Senior Policy Adviser to the Governor, Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, said the workshop aimed to emphasize the importance of a collaborative approach to policy formulation and implementation in realizing the objectives of the M.O.R.E. Agenda.
He noted that the vision of the M.O.R.E. Agenda would be difficult to achieve without the active involvement and understanding of civil servants and other stakeholders.
According to him, “While the essence of government lies in the structures and institutions that exercise authority and make decisions for a society, governance encompasses the processes and practices through which those decisions are made and implemented.”
In her remarks, the Head of Service, Delta State, Mrs. Mininim Oseji, stated that human capital development should go beyond training and retraining, stressing the need for measurable impacts.
Mrs. Oseji called for effective evaluation of training programs to ensure they lead to attitudinal change, curb absenteeism, eliminate ghost workers, discourage age falsification, and reduce lateness among public servants.
“We need to determine what constitutes the ideal public servant, the ideal official. Most importantly, we must ensure that our training initiatives have measurable impact,” she said.
