Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, has challenged the new Head of Service (HoS), to improve workers’ productivity despite institutional inadequacies inherent in the civil service.

According to him, institutional inadequacies have negative effects on professional competence and managerial capabilities of workers. Zulum, who said this recently while swearing in Simon Malgwi, as the new Head of Service at the Government House, Maiduguri, said: “You are to come up with the necessary institutional measures to reverse this ugly trend. This will rejuvenate the civil service and resuscitate its procedures.

“You’re also to re-orient your workers along with civil service management system. You should also give special attention to some of the formidable challenges and institutional inadequacies that have negative effects on professional competence of workers.

“All senior civil servants are to lead by example with strict adherence to Public Service Rules and other statutory guidelines,” he said. The Governor said these steps would smooth operation of the service, adding that the policy direction of the government is guided by comprehensive 10-point development agenda. He said the implementation of agenda is meant to address most of the challenges facing the state, including Boko Haram insurgency. He explained that there is an urgent need for Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executives of government agencies to keep pace with development strides.