Jonathan wants civil servants to uphold reforms

President Goodluck Jonathan has urged civil servants to ensure that public service reforms are upheld to prepare a better future for the younger ones.

He said this on Thursday in Abuja during the book launch and public presentation of two books in honour of Alhaji Bukar Aji, the outgoing Head of Service of the Federation.

The book titled: “Bukar Goni Aji: A Quintessential Civil Servant” and “The Challenges of Transforming the Civil Service”, were written by Abdullahi Bulama and the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR).

The books chronicled the reforms of the outgoing head of service.

Represented by Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Jonathan said that the public service was assuming a new momentum.

“The reforms that have taken place in the last few years, whether you like the administration or not you cannot deny it.

“I commit all of us to the fact that the future belongs to all of us and we must continue to sustain the reforms that have been initiated by this administration.

“I encourage you to take these reforms to your table at every level to make sure that we prepare and bequeath a very prosperous future for our own children that are coming up,” he said

The Chairman of the book launch, General Ibrahim Babangida, said this was the first time an outgoing head of service would be honoured in such a manner.

Represented by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, a former Head of Service, Babangida reminded all civil servants to be at their best at all times to restore the dignity of the service.

“I want to remind all civil servants that these times are not normal times and it is your responsibility to think ahead and use your brain,” Babangida said.

Aji commended the president for believing in him and giving him the opportunity to prove himself, adding that, some of the policies that were introduced during his tenure might have been unpopular and unfavourable to some people, but they were essential to national development.

The outgoing head of service wished Kifasi a successful tenure and prayed that God should see him through.

He, however, appealed to the striking members of Nigeria Medical Association to return to work because of the outbreak of Ebola virus. “The situation we are today is a situation that the Nigerian society recognises who is truly a Nigerian.

“Even in this time, the NMA is still sustaining the strike and so we are getting the answers clearly now that we now know who are actually Nigerians and the people who are ready to stand for the nation at a time like this.