FG assures improved welfare package for MDAs

By Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja

The Permanent Secretary Service Welfare Office, Office of the Head of the Civil  Service of the Federation (OHCSF), Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack has stated that the  Federal Government has laid out modalities to ensure decent working  environment for Civil Servants in the MDAs. Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack disclosed this at the 2
nd Edition of Permanent Secretary Quarterly Forum with Union
Leaders in MDAs in Abuja.
Mrs. Walson-Jack further stated that the Forum provided opportunity at
fostering industrial peace and harmony in the Public Service through cross
fertilization of ideas with regards to strategies.
She also noted that paying attention to workers welfare will go a long way to
improve their productivity at work place. According to Walson-Jack out of
563 registered death benefits claims of deceased worker’s next-of-kins
cutting across 166 MDAs, 496 claims have been verified, certified and
approved for payment to the tune of N1.3billion.
She further stated that payment of backlog of death benefits commence by the
end of April. For the period not covered by the insurance policy subscribed to
by the deceased worker. Her words, “It is equally important to point out that
the sum of N1.5billion has been released by the Ministry of Finance for
payment of death benefits for the period not covered by insurance policy.
“In order to make payment to deceased next-of-kin, a service wide
verification exercise of backlog of death benefits claim of 563 deceased
officers, cutting across 166 MDAs was conducted in January 2019, to confirm
the veracity of the claim request submitted by the MDAs.
“After the verification exercise, a total of 497 next-of-kin of deceased officers
have been cleared for payment to beneficiaries is expected to commence
before the end of this month”, she said.
The Forum was rounded-off with the launching of Service Welfare Newsletter,
Service Welfare Website and the Service Welfare Office, Digital Help Desk.
There was also a presentation on the Federal Civil Service Strategy and
Implementation Plan 2017 – 2020.