By Aderogba George
In the aim of fulfilling their yearly task, Staff of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development on Saturday gathered at the National Stadium, Abuja, to celebrate the 2023 Civil Service Week.
The celebration, which also featured civil servant from other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including those from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, witnessed all kinds of sporting activities.
Speaking to newsmen during the celebration, Mr Kazeem Adenekan, Sport Manager, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, said the sporting activities will bring about increased productivity of the civil servant in their various offices.
According to him, a healthy body is the one that will guaranty higher productivity and increase interpersonal skills relationship.
“We had three events in one, the first was the celebration of the Civil Service Week which is an annual event.
“We are also celebrating with the Head of Civil Service of Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, and our Permanent Secretary, Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, the second aspect of the programme is the launching of the ministry’s sports kits.
“The third aspect of this celebration was our monthly walking/jogging exercise. This is the July edition for civil servants, and they were expected to come out to exercise.
“After graduating from post-COVID-19 era, everybody was secluded from social interactions, but this is one of the opportunities to bring people back, interact with each other, socialise and exercise your body,” he said.
Adenekan advised all civil servants to embrace sporting activities to be able to discharge their optimum best at work.
He said that the vision of the monthly jogging which is held last Saturday of every month was to make sure that all civil servants keep fit.
He called on the President Bola Tinubu-led government to modify sports, adding that a government cannot be run well without social activities for its civil servants.
According to him, sports is an extra curriculum activity, and called on those who were absent at the July edition of the monthly jogging exercise to make themselves available in the next edition.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the football game played during the celebration between Association of Permanent Secretaries and Association of directors saw the Permanent Secretaries winning 1-0.
NAN also reports that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development won the most kitted ministry award at the celebration. (NAN)