Parliament opens today Augetto Graig The anticipated opening of the ninth session of the fifth Parliament of the Republic of Namibia is set for 14h30 this afternoon. This year President Hifikepunye Pohamba has chosen the theme of ‘Promoting Oversight Effectiveness Towards Ensuring Transparent National Budget Administration’ for the session, echoing the words of Prime Minister Hage Geingob when he addressed his staff in the capital on Friday. Geingob told the assorted staff members of the Office of the Prime Minister that they need to provide effective service delivery, as they are expected to strengthen and maintain public trust in government. “Some civil servants have become indifferent, uncaring and outright inefficient,” he said, adding that this has brought the whole civil service into disrepute. “If we are to succeed in instilling a culture of excellence in the civil service, we will have to change the way we manage,” he told his staff. Targeting permanent secretaries and parastatal managers the prime minister said that, “we should know that what we do makes a difference in the lives of our people,” and urged that, “we must be worried, are we making a difference in the lives of the poor.” Geingob highlighted the need to get rid of “dead-weight” civil servants who show no enthusiasm and come to work tired. “If you are tired, please leave,” he said. He also mentioned civil servants and permanent secretaries that do private work or run private businesses on government time, from government offices and with government resources. “That is a problem,” he said, “thing have to be changed, attitudes have to be changed. I am here to serve my people. We must have a spirit of doing something from the heart. If you don’t deliver services you disrespect the people. We can build a paradise here with the proper use of our resources. Wake up and deliver,” he urged and said, “one final rule; take personal responsibility for what you do.”
Posted on: Tue, 11 Feb 2014 09:56:58 +0000
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