Nigerians judge Tinubu govt by how we serve them, not roads alone.... Says Umahi

"The Ministerial Service Delivery Committee, comprising representatives of various departments and stakeholders, remained an important mechanism for identifying challenges affecting effective and timely service delivery and providing management with information needed to address them." Umahi.

The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, has warned staff of the ministry against lateness, poor treatment of members of the public and lack of commitment to duty, saying Nigerians judge the government not only by the roads it constructs but also by how they are served.

Umahi, represented by the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary (DOOPS), Mohammed Aminu Ahmed, gave the warning yesterday in Abuja at a sensitisation session organised by the Department of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement (RC&SI) to mark the 2026 Customer Service Week.

The event was held on the theme, “Going the Extra Mile in Satisfying Customers.”

The minister said providing quality road infrastructure without commensurate customer service amounted to incomplete service delivery, urging workers to demonstrate professionalism, courtesy, empathy and responsiveness in their dealings with Nigerians and other stakeholders.

“Nigerians judge this administration not only by the roads we build, but also by how we serve them,” he said.

Umahi said the Ministerial Service Delivery Committee, comprising representatives of various departments and stakeholders, remained an important mechanism for identifying challenges affecting effective and timely service delivery and providing management with information needed to address them.

He, however, expressed concern over the attitude of some workers, particularly lateness, poor treatment of members of the public and failure to show genuine commitment to their official responsibilities.

Such conduct, he said, was unacceptable for a service-oriented ministry whose performance had a direct bearing on the public perception of the Federal Government.

The minister disclosed that he had directed the Department of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement to intensify sensitisation across all cadres of staff to promote positive behavioural change and improve efficiency in service delivery.

Earlier, the Director of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Sharifat Joke Raji, said Customer Service Week offered the ministry an opportunity to assess its service delivery practices and renew its commitment to meeting the expectations of Nigerians, contractors and other stakeholders.

Raji said going the extra mile for customers required workers to be responsive, prompt, courteous, empathetic and professional.

She stressed that customer service was not the responsibility of frontline officers alone, but a collective responsibility of all staff.

“Service is not just the responsibility of the frontline officer; it is the responsibility of all of us,” she said.

Also speaking, the Director of Human Resource Management, Ahmad Muhammad Tukur, said Nigerians assessed the ministry not only by the quality of roads and other infrastructure delivered but also by the manner in which they were treated when dealing with its officials.

Tukur urged workers to observe official working hours, demonstrate discipline and remain committed to their responsibilities despite prevailing economic challenges.

He said staff who demonstrated exceptional commitment to service delivery would be recognised and rewarded, while those who failed to improve their attitude to work would face appropriate sanctions in line with extant rules and regulations.

He also called on management and senior officers to lead by example in enforcing punctuality and discipline across the ministry.

The RC&SI department was directed to monitor service delivery at various service points and submit regular reports to management for necessary action.

It was also tasked with ensuring compliance with official schedules and effective monitoring of daily activities across the ministry.

The ministry subsequently urged its workers to use the Customer Service Week to renew their commitment to efficient, timely, courteous and professional service to members of the public and other stakeholders.