Oyo-Ita advocates salary increment for civil servants

Winifred Oyo-Ita, head of the civil service of the federation, says there is a need for the federal government to increase the salary of civil servants in the country.

She said this is part of the 2017-2020 federal civil service strategy and implementation plan to boost civil service in the country.

Oyo-Ita spoke on Wednesday at a sensitisation workshop organised for civil servants in Abuja.

She said the strategy, which has been approved by the federal executive council, had eight priority areas aimed at making the nation’s civil service efficient, productive and incorruptible.

She said the priority areas, inclusive of salary review, were selected based on their relevance to the economic recovery growth plan.

“We need to launch a salary review of the civil service as a first step to enhance the value proposition of civil servants,” Oyo-Ita said.

“I am for salary review. We must increase salary. I am not saying this as a union leader but because I am aware of what workers go through.”

She added that the plan also seeks to re-design three core training modules, including leadership enhancement and development programme as a top talent programme to cultivate the next generation of leaders in the service.

It also aims to drive high-level impact, institutionalise performance management, drive innovation as well as introduce non-monetary recognition into the civil service.

Oyo-Ita said by 2020, the plan is expected to have delivered outcomes that include N60n-120bn savings from cleaning HR data on IPPIS; and N2.5bn annual savings from digitising content.

She added that 25,000 civil servants are expected to have been trained through revamped core modules contained in the plan, while 200 future leaders would also be trained.