The Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA has threatened to withhold the overheads of Secretariats, Departments and Agencies SDAs that fail to comply with its newly-unveiled Standard Operating Procedures SOPs.

Performing the sign-off ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, Permanent Secretary in the FCTA, Mr Olusade Adesola stated that the implementation of the SOPs which is expected to commence next January is a testament to FCTA’s willingness to adapt to change and would remarkably transform the way FCTA functions.

He said: “Today, as we gather here to sign off on these SOPs, we are embarking on a journey towards a more efficient, accountable, and citizen-centric government.

“These SOPs will provide a framework for our departments to operate in a consistent manner, ensuring that our services are delivered promptly, uniformly, and with the utmost professionalism”.

According to him, SOP’s implementation would also “Reduce ambiguities, minimize errors, and promote a culture of continuous improvement” of service delivery in the FCT, thereby providing the foundation for “a more streamlined and transparent functioning of our various Departments”.

As 15 Departments received signed copies of their SOPs, the Permanent Secretary noted that the documents were subject to periodic reviews, warning other “Secretariats, Departments and Agencies to either comply and have theirs or miss out of their overheads from August”.

Earlier, Acting Director, FCTA Department of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu explained that the SOPs journey started as a result of the Federal Government’s resolve to digitize the Civil Service for more effectiveness and efficiency in line with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan FCSSIP25.

She added that implementation of the SOP was also a pre-requisite for deployment of Performance Management Systems PMS.

Ahmadu, while corroborating Adesola, revealed that the journey of SOP began in May 2022, and was designed to “Provide a framework for consistency and professionalism across all departments, ensuring that our services are delivered promptly and uniformly”.

“They signify our commitment to upholding the highest standards of governance and serving our citizens with integrity”, she explained.