The Lagos State Government has warned civil servants not to make life difficult for residents of the state in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The government challenged civil servants to ensure that transactions and interactions with citizens were simplified.
Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr Benson Oke issued this warning at a two-day workshop with the theme: “Engaging global best practice to deliver value per excellence in Lagos State”.
Oke said by providing citizens with the information they needed on how to process a request in an easy-to-use resource, citizens could adequately prepare to complete their transactions and processes in one visit.
“Providing the necessary information for common processes and procedures in an easy-to-use resource can reduce the number of people in lines at government offices and allow government staff to spend more time helping citizens complete processes and less time providing instructions. As a result, government staff can be more efficient and productive,” he said.
Oke stated that civil servants must ensure that citizens had a positive experience interacting with the government, stressing that “By creating opportunities to inform and discuss public finances with citizens, the government can foster an informed and involved citizenry.
“Providing citizens with information regarding government budgets can contribute to constituents feeling they are part of a community development process, and as such cultivate citizens buy-in,” he added.
According to him, it was important that the civil servants ensured simplified process as citizens expected the government to comply with global best practices in democratic governance.
“Delivery of value to citizens is the fundamental objective of any democratically elected government. In today’s world, however, the value must be delivered per excellence. This is chiefly because citizens have become sophisticated and exposed to the standards of governance in other climes such that their expectations have been conditioned to demand and insist on compliance with global best practices at all levels of governance. Meeting these expectations is the central challenge for governments in developing world,” he said
