By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Shehu Ahmed, on Thursday, December 1, 2016 inaugurated the SERVICOM Committee of the Ministry.
Inaugurating the committee, the Permanent Secretary expressed satisfaction with the Reform Coordination and Service Improvement department of the Ministry for taking its rightful place in the Ministry to drive, coordinate, monitor, report and troubleshoot on service failures, as well as making efforts to address them accordingly.
While assuring the Committee of management’s necessary support to perform its duties, the Permanent Secretary urged the department of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement to come up with initiatives that will enhance service delivery in the Ministry.
He called on the department to work efficiently and in consonance with all departments in the Ministry to achieve set objectives. He also appealed to all departments and Units in the Ministry to support the initiative and the committee.
He appreciated the efforts and encouragements of the SERVICOM Office in the Presidency, especially in the current work on the Ministerial Service Charter of the Ministry and the synergy the Ministry is receiving from the Office. He congratulated the Committee members, drawn from all departments of the Ministry, and urged them to see their nomination as an opportunity to re-dedicate themselves and work as a team to bring about positive changes in the Ministry.
Earlier in her keynote address, acting National Coordinator of SERVICOM, Mrs Nnenna Akajemili stated that the inauguration of the Ministerial SERVICOM Committee in the Ministry was in line with the institutionalization of SERVICOM Principles in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Government.
She noted that the inauguration comes in the most auspicious time when President Buhari is working towards ensuring change in the Nigerian public service, and most especially in the agriculture sector.
She expressed hope that the inauguration of a SERVICOM Committee in the Ministry would, among other things, bring about a positive change and improvement in productivity, as well as strategies that will lead to better service delivery in the Ministry.
She stressed that the public expects accountability and transparency in the use of resources, and would therefore, measure Government performance based on the quality of services delivered. She thus enjoined all MDAs to embrace the principles of SERVICOM, which promotes the culture of continuous improvement in the service delivery process, to keep track with global best practices, as advocated by the SERVICOM Office.
Head of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement department in the Ministry, Mr El-Baff Mahdi called on the newly inaugurated committee to, among other things, organize sensitization of all staff of the Ministry in order to promote a better attitude and commitment, as well as efficiency and effective service delivery at all levels, organize best staff/department award with the aim of rewarding excellence, and to sensitize and establish SERVICOM Units in all research institutions and parastatals of the Ministry in line with Federal Government directive.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Aduragbemi Omiyale