Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The federal government has launched 100 electric buses to provide affordable transportation for federal civil servants
The outgoing Head of Civil Service of the Federation Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack said in Abuja that the initiative was a practical demonstration of federal government’s commitment to the welfare and well-being of civil servants.
Walson-Jack, whose tenure ends today, described the scheme as a dream come true and parting gift to civil servants, adding 37 of the 100 electric buses had been delivered as the first instalment of the project.
She said daily commuting from one location to another was affecting the finances, punctuality and overall productivity of civil servants.
She expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for supporting the initiative and the transformation of the federal civil service.
“An intervention that makes transportation safer, more reliable and more affordable is therefore not a peripheral welfare gesture; it is an investment in a more productive civil service,” she said.
The head of service lauded the Minister of State for Industry, Sen. John Enoh for undertaking the symbolic handover of the buses and the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr. Joseph Osanipin for the collaboration that ensured the buses were developed in line with the objectives of the national automotive policy.
She tasked civil servants to take good care of the buses, describing the initiative as valuable assets provided for their benefit.
Earlier, Enoh described the inauguration as a significant milestone in the federal government efforts to improve the welfare of civil servants.
He said the first 37 buses would serve as the initial phase of the 100-bus project, with the remaining buses expected to be deployed as planned.
The minister noted that the deployment of the electric vehicles would ease transportation burden by workers while supporting the government’s broader sustainability and development objectives.
He also said the buses were part of the administration’s efforts to translate its policies into practical interventions that directly impacted the lives of Nigerians.
He commended Walson-Jack for her contributions to the federal civil service and wished her well as she concluded her tenure as the head of service.