The Ministry of Aviation has commissioned a Digital Service Centre in compliance with the directive from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation for Ministries and Agencies to digitise their operations for effective service delivery.

The centre is designed to improve the capabilities of the ministry to effectively implement Government policies under the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Commissioning the centre in Abuja on Thursday, November 13, Aviation Minister Osita Chidoka said it will enhance delivery of effective and efficient service to the public. He also said that it will enhance prompt implementation of government policies and projects under the transformation agenda, enhance value for money on public expenditure; enhance transparency, accountability, stewardship and professionalism.

The minister added that the centre will make access to information in line with Freedom of Information (FOI) Act easy and faster, facilitate data archiving and online chat for enquiries, directory, comments, and feedbacks.

He encouraged staff of the ministry to tap into the opportunity to improve themselves and put such improvement to practice which will in turn affect the ministry and the aviation sector positively.

Alhaji SK Yemi Adelakun, outgoing Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, earlier, while welcoming the minister to the commissioning, said the digital service centre was a brainchild of the Head, Civil Service of the Federation and all MDAs mandated to replicate it. He said the state of the art Aviation Digital Centre has 20 computers which have been programmed to serve the ministry and aviation sector in general.

In another development, Alhaji Adelakun, who was recently redeployed to the Civil Service Commission, has handed over to the incoming Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Abbas.

Adelakun, while handing over enjoined the management and staff of the ministry to cooperate with the incoming permanent secretary as they did wth him in his short stay in the ministry.

He said he was sure the incoming permanent secretary would deliver as he is a great achiever. He prayed that the permanent secretary would take the ministry to the next level.

In his remarks, Alhaji Abbas congratulated the outgoing permanent secretary on his stay in the ministry and prayed that God guides him in his new place of assignment.

Abbas pledged to work with the management and staff of the ministry to take the aviation ministry to a greater height while focussing on achieving the transformation agenda of the Jonathan administration.

•Photo shows Aviation Minister Osita Chidoka.