The federal government through the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan has charged heads of Ministry, Department, and Agencies (MDAs) to prioritise a healthy working environment for their staff to enhance service delivery.
Yemi- Esan who made the call at the opening of a Three Day Training Programme for Occupational Safety And Health (Osh) Desk, with the Theme: Fostering A Safe Conducive and Healthy Work Environment For Civil Servants in Abuja.
The head of civil service who was represented by the permanent secretary of the Service Welfare Office, Alhaji Mahmud Kambari, noted that a healthy workforce in any organization translates to increase productivity.
“The National Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Policy approved by the Federal Executive Council, mandated the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) to ensure the provision of safe, conducive and healthy work environment and promote international best practices in OSH for workers in all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of Government.
“In line with this mandate, the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation on July 6, 2022 issued a circular for the Establishment of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Desk in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of Government instructing all MDAs to establish or resuscitate an OSH Desk to be manned by staff who will be trained to discharge the responsibilities of coordinating the implementation of OSH activities in the MDAs.
“Premised on this and with a renewed drive towards the attainment of the objectives of pillar 6 of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 (FCSSIP25), which is to enhance the value proposition for the Civil Servants, a three-day training programme was proposed and approved by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. The pillar has a sub-initiative to improve the health and safety of Civil Servants,” she said.
The head of civil service further said that the training programme was therefore organized to equip OSH Desk Officers with the requisite knowledge to discharge the responsibilities of coordinating the implementation of OSH activities in their MDAs. “It is to also help OSH Desk Officers understand the approved practices and safety expectations within their work environment.
“A healthy workforce results in increased productivity therefore providing a healthy work environment which guarantees the safety of workers should be paramount to all.”
A guest speaker at the training, Dr. Oluwakemi Lasin, while speaking on the topic; Health And Safety at the Office, decried the high number of death being recorded among civil servants.
She urged the desk officers to take deliberate efforts to prevent workplace accidents and illness to promote healthy well-being among civil servants.
