As the 42nd Council Meeting of the National Council on Establishments (NCE) begins in Ikeja, Lagos State on Monday, members have been urged to conduct a review of the Scheme of Service in line with evolving realities.
The Lagos State Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, gave the charge while declaring the conference open.
He, however, reminded the delegates that the resolution of the meeting would provide a critical roadmap for decisions and conclusions at the forthcoming Officials and Ministerial Sessions of the Council.
In his words: “Let me use this opportunity to remind all the delegates to use the occasion of this conference to conduct a review of the Scheme of Service in line with evolving realities because the outcomes of your deliberations traditionally provide the critical roadmap for decisions and conclusions at the forthcoming Officials and Ministerial Sessions of the Council.
“I also wish to implore you to take full advantage of the opportunity provided by this convergence to engender focused interrogation of burning issues confronting Schemes and Conditions of Service nationwide,” Muri-Okunola said.
The HoS, who had earlier received the participants in his office, reiterated that the meeting provides an excellent opportunity for the Council to realign and update relevant aspects of the Scheme of Service in line with emerging realities in both academia and the actual workplace.
“In this undertaking, it is your individual and collective insights and robust inputs that would drive the process of improving service delivery in all the Civil/Public Services in the Federation”, he stated.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies Office, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole, thanked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and residents of the state for the warm welcome, and the show of hospitality to the delegation.
Meribole noted that the primary aim of the meeting was to prepare for the larger meeting of NCE comprising both the officials (Heads of Service of different States, Permanent Secretaries on Establishment matters of different States) and delegates (the Directors on Establishment Matters of different States) respectively.
He encouraged the participants to ensure that the NCE meeting is sustained due to its core importance to the service.
In his opening address, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Establishments and Training, Mr. Abiodun Bamgboye, on behalf of the delegates applauded the Lagos State Head of Service and host, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
The commendation, he said, is for his magnanimity and effort in securing executive approval for the conference.
“I consider it imperative to specially acknowledge and welcome to our midst, the Chief Host, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, Head of Service of Lagos State, who, not only secured executive approval for this hosting but also ensured we left no stone unturned in our preparations for the five-day meeting”, Bamgboye said.
