The federal government through the outgoing head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has commissioned 100 Renewed Hope Mass Transit Electric Buses acquired for federal civil servants, describing the initiative as a practical demonstration of the government's commitment to workers' welfare and productivity.
Walson-Jack, who spoke yesterday at the ceremony at Eagle Square, Abuja, said the 37 buses presented at the event constituted the first batch of the 100 electric buses procured under the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund.
She described the event as particularly significant to her, saying it was her "parting gift" to federal civil servants as her tenure as head of the Civil Service of the Federation would end within 24 hours.
"It is with so much joy in my heart that I welcome you to this epoch-making commissioning of 100 Renewed Hope Mass Transit Electric Buses for federal civil servants.
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"What we have here is 37 buses, being the first instalment of the 100 Electric Buses," she said.
According to her, she could not have asked for a more fitting way to end her tenure than receiving and handing over an intervention that would continue to serve civil servants after her departure from office.
"I could not have asked for a more fitting note on which to close this chapter of service than receiving and handing over the keys to something that will keep moving, keep working, long after I have gone home," she said.
The HoCSF said transportation was more than simply moving people from one location to another, stressing that the daily commute had significant implications for the finances, safety, punctuality and productivity of civil servants.
She said the initiative would ease the financial burden of transportation, reduce commuting risks and enable workers to arrive at their places of work in better physical and emotional condition.
"An intervention that makes transportation safer, more reliable, and more affordable is, therefore, not a peripheral welfare gesture; it is an investment in a more productive Civil Service," she said.
Walson-Jack said the buses represented a visible assurance that the government understood the daily realities of its workforce and was prepared to respond to them.
She linked the initiative to other welfare measures of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, including the upward review of the national minimum wage, wage award following the removal of fuel subsidy, digitalisation and ease-of-service reforms, as well as renewed attention to pensions, promotions, employee compensation and health insurance.
She said the measures demonstrated that government reforms should be felt by workers and not merely announced.
"The Renewed Hope Agenda lives not only in policy documents, but in interventions that Civil Servants can see, board, and feel the benefit of every day," she said.
The HCSF expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his support for the welfare of civil servants and the transformation of the Federal Civil Service.
She said a strong and efficient Civil Service depended on a workforce that was properly supported, motivated and equipped to deliver quality services to Nigerians.
Walson-Jack also commended the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, for his support and for personally undertaking the symbolic handover of the buses.
She acknowledged the contributions of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Patience Oyekunle; Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office, Dr Garba Abdul Sule; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Chris Isokpunwu; and their respective teams.
She also commended the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Dr Zacch Adedeji, for his support towards the realisation of the project, as well as the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, and his team.
Walson-Jack emphasised the need for a sustainable operational framework to guide the deployment of the buses, saying routes and schedules must be transparent, equitable and responsive to areas of greatest need.
She further called for effective arrangements for maintenance, qualified drivers, passenger safety, cleanliness and monitoring.
According to her, operations would commence with a pilot phase on selected routes, while full deployment would follow after the necessary logistics had been concluded.
She added that the buses would also be deployed, where appropriate, to Federal Secretariats across the states.
"A Special Purpose Vehicle has been established to ensure their proper management, maintenance and long-term sustainability," she said.
The HCSF urged civil servants to regard the buses as valuable public assets and protect them from abuse.
"They are yours to use, but also yours to protect," she said.
Walson-Jack also urged beneficiaries to reciprocate the government's investment by improving their punctuality, productivity and dedication to duty.
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She said reducing the financial, physical and emotional burden of commuting would enable civil servants to arrive at work with greater capacity to perform their responsibilities.
"That is the entire logic of what we launch today: productivity, dignity and safety, delivered on four wheels," she said.
The HCSF, who is due to leave office on Thursday, urged those responsible for managing the buses to ensure that they remained functional, sustainable and beneficial to civil servants for many years.
"I may leave office tomorrow, but these buses and the reform journey of the Federal Civil Service must keep moving. There should be no breakdown on either route!" she said.
She expressed appreciation to President Tinubu, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the National Automotive Design and Development Council, the Service Welfare Office and all those who contributed to the delivery of the initiative.
She thereafter formally commissioned the Renewed Hope Mass Transit Electric Buses for the Federal Civil Service, dedicating the intervention to the welfare of federal workers and improved service delivery to Nigerians.
