By Sunday ABBA
The Civil Service Award of Excellence recently bestowed on the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sunday Echono by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSoF) of Nigeria, Dr Folashade Mejabi Yemi-Esan, has been described as recognition of his commitment to national development.
Out of rare penchant for, and quest to encourage, excellence, the HCSoF had doled out awards to many public and civil servants to encourage productivity, and worthy of note was the 2023 Civil Service Outstanding Service Award bestowed on the TETFund Boss Arc. Echono, for the achievements and the sterling leadership prowess he brought to bear in public office.
A senior civil servant and Echono’s townsman, Mr Michael Abu, in a statement made available to SUMMIT POST, said the award to Echono is a testament of Dr Yemi-Esan’s commitment to turning around the country’s civil service by recognising and rewarding excellence to encourage productivity.
“Arc. Echono has served in several federal ministries as permanent secretary (PS) before his retirement, and his eventual appointment as the TETFund ES. He is therefore not new to Dr Yemi-Esan as his antecedents are on record.
“Echono ought to be celebrated by the government and good people of Benue State as a worthy ambassador, notable for impactful service delivery,” he said.
Echono hails from Odugbo-Ochekwu in Apa Local Government Area (LGA) of the Idoma dominated Benue South, politically called Zone C Senatorial District.
Abu wants other public office holders to view Echono’s outstanding commitment to service that culminated in the award as a challenge and see the need to exhibit quality leadership and commitment to our national development through quality service delivery, particularly in the current democratic dispensation when the leadership is focusing on revamping the economy for improved living conditions.
“I expect public office executives to be conscious of their workers and see themselves as the books through which their subordinates could enlighten their minds in appreciation of good models. Only then can more good leaders and administrators be bred in our pubic and civil service systems.
“While I commend Dr. Yemi-Esan for her reform aimed at bringing our public and civil services up to speed and at par with global standards, let me say that it remains always tenable for the regular rewards of hardworking and committed workers to sustain inspiration for effective and efficient performance of duties in the various MDAs.
“Since the reform envisages the challenges of retired workers in the country, a more feasible and appreciable retirement package should not only be put in place, the process of settling them should beat delay in order to allay the fear that might encourage corruption in the system.
“The scope of the Civil Services Award of Excellence by the head of service can be broadened to cover every cadre and profession in the public and civil services for inclusivity to boost workers morale and maximise productivity,” the publicist said.