The Federal Government has inaugurated 100 Renewed Hope Mass Transit electric buses as part of efforts to provide safer, more affordable and reliable transportation for federal civil servants across Nigeria.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, announced the development on Wednesday during the inauguration ceremony in Abuja.

Walson-Jack said the initiative demonstrates the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the welfare and well-being of civil servants. She disclosed that 37 of the 100 electric buses had already been delivered as the first batch of the project.

“For me, it is a dream come true. This inauguration is providentially my parting gift to my dearly beloved federal civil servants,” she said.

The outgoing HCSF, whose tenure ends on Thursday, described the project as an appropriate way to bring her service to a close, noting that the buses would continue to benefit federal civil servants after her departure.

She expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for backing the initiative and other measures directed at transforming the Federal Civil Service.

Walson-Jack said transportation extends beyond the simple movement of people, stressing that workers’ daily commutes affect their finances, safety, punctuality and productivity.

”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.

According to her, the buses are expected to reduce the financial pressure associated with transportation for civil servants while helping to address some of the safety difficulties linked to daily commuting.

She added that the initiative represents an effort to turn the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda into practical measures that deliver direct benefits to workers.

”The acquisition of the buses is made possible through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund.”

The HCSF said the intervention further demonstrates the administration’s commitment to ensuring that government policies produce tangible benefits for Nigerians.

She also commended the Minister of State for Industry, Sen. John Enoh, for his support for the initiative and his participation in the symbolic handover of the buses.

Walson-Jack recognised the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr Joseph Osanipin, and his team for working with the project to ensure that the buses were developed in accordance with the objectives of the national automotive policy.

She maintained that civil servants’ welfare remains central to public service reform, arguing that a motivated workforce with adequate support would be better equipped to serve the country professionally and with commitment.

Walson-Jack also called on beneficiaries to properly maintain and protect the buses, describing them as valuable government assets provided for their use.

“My dearly beloved civil servants, treat these buses as your own personal assets. They are assets that have been provided for you all,” she said.

Source: leadership.ng