Aminat Isah, Abuja
The Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, has declared free transportation services for staff and management of the federal ministry of transportation.
Amaechi stated this at an interactive session with staff and management of the ministry in Abuja on Monday, saying that the decision was to help ameliorate the challenges faced by the staff in the discharge of their civic duties.
According to him, “knowing the background I come from, I felt that you people are spending more money having to transport yourselves to work and I’m surprised that they are collecting money from you for those buses.”
He also directed the Permanent Secretary to ensure the bus services are free of charge henceforth, and said “We’ll increase the number of staff buses, fuel and maintain them ourselves.”
Amaechi further assured that to improve on service delivery, training and retraining of staff personnel will be given top priority.
“We would devise a means of training and retraining our staff, be it locally or internationally; and it will be according to our resources,”
he said.
Amaechi also directed the ministry’s Permanent Secretary to liaise with authorities of NYSC to post some doctors to the Ministry of Transportation in view of establishing a medical center for staff of the ministry.
He added that, “Let us get the NYSC to post to the ministry at least two doctors, so we can ascertain the cost of establishing a clinic for our staff. This will enable those who fall ill to get free treatment.”
The Minister also noted that henceforth, provision of laptops for Engineers will be included in the ministry’s budget.
In her remarks, the Minister of State for Transport, Sen. Gbemisola Saraki, assured workers of smooth working relationship, stating that she would work together with Amaechi to improve on staff welfare.
“Whatever the Minister (Amaechi) had been doing I will follow suit, I will always be behind him and I will do my best to always ensure that we do what will promote staff welfare,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Sabiu Zakari, earlier in his remarks said the aim of the interactive session was to have a better understanding with the Ministers.
He enjoined the staff of the ministry to give neccessary support to the Ministers towards the achievement of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration mantra.
