FERMA Pledges Total Compliance to SERVICOM Principles in the Implementation of OGP, NAPII Commitments

The Managing Director, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Nuruddeen A. Rafindadi, FNSE has said that FERMA will ensure total compliance to SERVICOM principles and directives in the implementation of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) 2nd National Action Plan (NAPII), promising that the Agency shall always provide adequate information to all customers, both internal and external on the processes for seeking redress in case they are not satisfied or have concerns on services received.

The Managing Director made this pledge in his welcome address on the occasion of the Advocacy visit to the Agency by the National Coordinator/CEO SERVICOM today 18th August, 2020.

Rafindadi said the advocacy visit of the National Coordinator/CEO SERVICOM and her team was a show of commitment to actualizing the success of the SERVICOM initiative on the implementation of Open Government Partnership (OGP) 2nd National Action Plan (NAPII), he added that the visit was laudable as this would accord the Agency’s Management the opportunity to be further enlightened on the President’s commitment to improve Service Delivery, Implementation of the Open Government Partnership 2nd National Action Plan (NAPII) and the compliance roles of the Agency.

The National Coordinator/CEO, SERVICOM, Mrs. Nnenna Akajemeli said the visit was to seek the partnership of the Agency on the “delivering on commitments in improved service delivery Thematic Areas”. She said Open government Partnership is a global coalition of reformers from government and civil society working together to make government more transparent, participatory and accountable to truly serve and empower citizens, adding that the OGP initiative present a platform for creation, partnership and collaboration between Government, Civil Society organizations and private sectors in achieving the OGP developmental processes.

Continuing, the SERVICOM Coordinator said the OGP initiative is governed by four key principles which include Transparency, Accountability, Citizen Participation and Technology and Innovation. Akajemeli further disclosed that the OGP which was founded in 2011 by eight (8) countries was signed into by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari in July 2016, thereby making commitment to ensure full implementation of the processes to fight corruption and assure accountable, transparent, citizen focused and improved service delivery to Nigerians.

These commitments she said, are contained in the First National Plan (NAPI) with 2 years implementation period (2017-2019), having Fiscal Transparency, Anti-corruption, Access to information and citizen’s engagement as it Thematic pillars.

Upon review of NAPI by the National Coordinator/CEO, SERVICOM and her team of experts, it was concluded that the underlying goal of the Presidential Commitment under OGP was to improve Service Delivery to the people of Nigeria, which falls squarely within the mandate of SERVICOM initiative.

Consequent upon the conclusion, the President approved improved Service Delivery Thematic Area with Commitments 15 and 16 which was included in NAPII with SERVICOM as the lead Agency, and this was ratified at the Washington DC meeting of the OGP in 2019.

NAPII implementation period is 2019 – 2021 with improved Service Delivery, Inclusiveness, Anti-corruption, Focal Transparency, Extractive Transparency, Access to Information and Citizens’ Engagement and Empowerment being the thematic areas.

Mrs. Nnenna Akajemeli said FERMA is one of the pilot MDAs to advance implementation of OGP initiative due to the centrality and importance of the Agency’s mandate, and because of the nature of service the Agency deliver to the Nigerian citizens.

She added that SERVIOM in partnership with FERMA will adapt the strategy of advocating for total commitment and buy-in by Honourable Ministers, Permanent Secretaries/CEO and key Partners/Stakeholders on implementation of improved Service Delivery commitment through pilot projects, including development/review and implementation of Service Standards as contained in service charter(s) of selected service windows in line with National Guidelines, Development of monitoring and reporting framework for the implementation of selected service windows, put systems/mechanism in place to ensure implementation of Service Standards within the delivery period of OGP NAPII 2019-2021, CEOs to spearhead, own and support their staff sensitization/training for the project and awareness campaign for their service takers.

Other roles, Nnenna said include the identification and nomination of transformers/champions of reform, i.e. committee members from key technical service departments that will ensure standard performance implementation, monitoring and reporting with terms of reference.

The MD, FERMA in response said the Agency already has in place an effective and working SERVICOM Unit with experts from different Departments that are driving SERVICOM principles in the implementation of OGP.