By Chioma Nnodim
Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Civil Servants, have commended the FCT Minister, Barr Nyesom Wike over the recent announcement for the immediate establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission.
The workers who came out in their numbers, Monday, October 16, could not hold in their excitement and elation as they sang praises of the Minister and prayed for his well-being while also commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for giving the presidential nod for the implementation of the FCT Civil Service (Establishment) Act which was passed by the National Assembly and accented to by the then President in 2018.
President of the Joint Unions Action Committee, JUAC, the umbrella body representing workers of the FCTA and FCDA, Comrade Korede Matilukoro, who spoke on behalf of staff during a thank-you rally to the FCT Minister, said Wike, by this singular act, has put smiles on the faces of the workers of the FCTA.
Matilukoro, who reflected on the protracted struggle for the implementation of the FCT Civil Service Commission, which, according to him, has been ongoing for over 20 years, said the collective efforts and prayers of the staff have finally yielded result.
He noted that workers of the FCTA were stagnated, not because they were incompetent or failed the prerequisite exam, but as a result of legal and administrative constraints, which made it impossible for Directors to rise to the position of Permanent Secretary.
He said, “We just want the Hon. Minister to know that we are so excited, we are so happy and we are saying thank you to sir.”
Matilukoro who led the rendition of solidarity songs by the mammoth crowd of FCTA workers who came to cheer the Minister, said the approval came to workers as a big surprise.
“Coming from the weekend we decided to bring a disk jocker to stand by and you will see banners all over the place. It’s just to surprise him back to say to whom much is given, much is expected.”
On the implication of this development for FCTA workers, Comrade Matilukoro likened it to the end of the slave trade in the 60s which came with a huge relief.
“Today, a new child is born. Today, Mr. President, our Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria has done a beautiful thing. If he said he has vision for Nigeria, if he says he knows what he wants to do, on behalf of FCTA, we believe him now because even without asking, within a twinkle of an eye, he is able to feel our pulse, he is able to deliver on it and put a smile on our faces, it’s a whole lot. That’s hope renewed, which was his campaign.”
While pledging the commitment and support of FCTA workers for the Federal Government, Matilukoro also sued for improved performance from the workers.
Responding, the FCT Minister, Barr Nyesom Wike explained that the implementation of the FCT Civil Service Commission is a demonstration of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President in the FCT.
The Minister said, “What is the President’s motto? Renewed hope agenda. I told Mr. President; it is renewed hope agenda. These people have lost hope. Renew their hope. Tell them that everything is not lost and the only way you can assure them is by making them grow to the apex of their career.”
Assuring the workers that the hindrance to their career development has been removed with this development, the Minister said the operation of the FCT Civil Service Commission will take effect from next week.
Also speaking on the withdrawal of the FCTA from the Treasury Single Account TSA, Barrister Wike said it would allow the Administration to better utilize its IGR for development.
He said: “All the projects we did in Port Harcourt, it’s because we were able to source for funds and use our IGR to be our collateral. It’s simple mathematics. If our IGR in a month is N20 billion and we are collecting N300 million from the bank, all you need to do is to tell the bank, collect N10 million every month, meanwhile your job is going.”
Wike while also hinting that further changes could be coming to the FCT, attributed these positive changes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s capacity and political will to do the right thing that so many people could not achieve.