WINIFRED Oyo-Ita, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, says Federal Government assets that are dilapidated should be refurbished for greater productivity and not discarded.
She said this on Tuesday in Abuja, while on inspection of the newly renovated Federal Treasury Academy (FTA) in Orozo in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
She said the new face of the academy was a testimony to the change mantra of the present administration.
“By the time the facilities are fully available for public utilisation, there will be a lot of money being generated not just for government but for the academy to manage its facilities.
“So, we can see that government is looking inwards and this is the kind of change we have been yearning for, to see a new approach to government assets.
“Government assets should not be discarded or thrown away or allowed to deteriorate, but they should be reactivated and used for the common good and I believe this is truly change in action,” she explained.
Oyo-Ita said other government agencies would be encouraged to make use of the academy for retreats, workshops and other training events to reduce the cost of such activities.
Speaking to some members of staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in a workshop session, she said training was very paramount for staff to give their best to the government.
Oyo-Ita urged the members of staff to show more commitment and loyalty to the government in the discharge of their duties.
Mr Ahmed Idris, the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), appealed to the head of service to direct all agencies to patronise the facility.
“This institution has been brought to the level of patronage and in line with the government directive to look inward and save cost, we do all our courses here,” said Idris.
According to him, any agency that wants to utilise the facility will only be charged a small but reasonable fare to maintain it and generate income for the government.
He said most of the renovation works were carried out by banks, public offices and individuals as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Idris said the academy which began operation in 1973 in Lagos, and was later moved to Abuja as the training arm of the treasury, became dilapidated due to poor funding.
The academy, however, now boasts of classrooms, fully equipped library, medical centre, student hostel and a computer laboratory.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the academy was established to train accountants and auditors working in the public service to develop their capacity in public finance management. (NAN)