DEFENCE MINISTRY, PSIN STRIKE DEAL ON PUBLIC SECTOR GOVERNANCE

YENEGOA, Bayelsa, Nigeria – The Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), has sought the collaboration of the Ministry of Defence in its commitment to modernise public sector governance.Other areas of of partnership include management and leadership development through transformational training. A statement by the Head (Press & Public Relations) in PSIN, Ekaete Umo, said  the Administrator/Chief Executive Officer of PSIN, Dr. Abdul-Ganiyu Obatoyinbo, tabled the demand in Abuja during a courtesy call on the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Mrs. Nuratiu Batagarawa in her office.  

While commending the Permanent Secretary for the good work she is already doing for the PSIN, he said the visit was to express appreciation to Batagarawa for her support thus far and to solicit more support from the Ministry.  He disclosed that his administration is poised to walk the talk to ensure that the Institute becomes a world-class center of excellence, capable of transforming public sector governance, management and leadership development.

The Administrator in his address to the Permanent Secretary and some Directors in the Ministry, said that the PSIN is being transformed and repositioned to operate optimally by developing and resuscitating moribund infrastructures and also building partnerships and collaborations with relevant Local and International organisations for.

Speaking further, Obatoyinbo informed the Permanent Secretary that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, recently commissioned an 80 seater capacity Computer Based Test Centre (CBT) donated by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF).  This, he added, has increased the number of computers in the Institute to 250 which now qualifies it to be used for JAMB examinations.  He said that with the use of modern learning and teaching facilities, the Institute can now engage resource persons and participants from within and outside the country.

In line with the Federal Civil Service Strategic Implementation Plan (FCSSIP) of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, to transform the Public Service, Obatoyinbo said the PSIN has reviewed its curriculum and developed programmes to build the capacity of Public Servants to make them Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible and Citizen-Centered (EPIC) as well as courses in entrepreneurial development and vocational skills training.

Obatoyinbo said that the Institute has conducted training for several MDAs and is currently arranging for a Bench-marking Study Tour to Malaysia and Singapore. He requested the Permanent Secretary to find time to visit the Institute to see the transformation that has taken place.

In her response, Batagarawa expressed her delight for the visit to her office, adding that the visit was well timed as the ministry was about to commence arrangement for staff training.   She assured the Administrator and his team that the Ministry of Defence will patronise PSIN most especially being a training Institute of the Federal Government with the mandate to provide capacity building to Public Servants.

Batagarawa commended the efforts of the Administrator in transforming Institute as well as the introduction of entrepreneurial skills development in the curriculum.