Perm Sec to State House Staff: Render Honest, Transparent, Quality Service

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Permanent Secretary, State House, Mr Olufunso Adebiyi, has charged members of Staff of the State House to discharge their duties with the utmost sense of responsibility and determination to ensure customer satisfaction.
Adebiyi asserted the inalienable right of the citizens to be served right by government, affirming that quality service to citizens was central to good governance.

The Permanent Secretary spoke Wednesday at the State House Auditorium in Abuja at the 2024 Customer Service Week organized by the State House SERVICOM Unit, reminding staff that above everything, there was a Supreme Being to whom everyone was accountable.

He said: “I beg of you, whatever God has given to you to do, do it with all your heart. SERVICOM is all about customer service, not customer serving you but you serving the customer.

“Let us provide quality, honest and transparent services, to customers to engender peace, national growth and job satisfaction.”

Delivering a paper titled ‘Beyond Propaganda, the Role of Information Management in Enhancing Transparent Governance in a Democratic Setting, the guest speaker, Abiodun Oladunjoye, who is also the Director, Information and Public Relations in the State House, posited that at the heart of good governance lies the proper use and distribution of information, while government actions are open, accountable, and understandable to the public.
He highlighted the nexus between information management, democracy and good governance adding that the establishment of SERVICOM in 2004 was in furtherance of government’s determination to offer quality, transparent and timely service to the citizens.

According to him: “SERVICOM’s mission aligns with transparent governance by ensuring that public services meet citizens’ needs and that government activities are conducted in an open and equitable manner. Established in 2004, SERVICOM has been at the forefront of improving service delivery and promoting a culture of excellence. By providing citizens with access to clear and accurate information, SERVICOM fosters a transparent system where public accountability and engagement are paramount.

“Information management forms the backbone of modern governance, particularly in policy planning and execution. Efficiently managing and disseminating data ensures that the right information reaches the right people at the right time. This is vital for transparent governance, as it supports well-informed decision-making and accountability,” Oladunjoye said.

He added that in democratic governance, transparency is essential to building trust between citizens and their leaders as, by making processes open to scrutiny, government actions are clear and accountable.
This, according to him, informed why government subscribes to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) as well as promotes the Freedom of Information through the FOI Act of 2014.

He, however, stated that, while transparency promotes accountability, it can also introduce challenges, such as the potential for delays in decision-making and concerns over privacy.

“Balancing transparency with the need for efficiency and security is critical for fostering good governance”, he further stated.

In her goodwill message, National Coordinator, SERVICOM, Mrs Nnena Akajemeli, represented by a Team Leader, Mrs kikilemo Aina, commended State House management for the continued provision of quality and timely services to stakeholders, enjoining them to sustain the tempo.

She stressed the need for staff to see their role as central to the success of government policies and programmes through their timely delivery of quality service to the citizens.

Awards of excellence were presented to some departments of the State House for excellent services and commitment to the ideals of SERVICOM.