Connectivity remains the biggest challenge for civil servants serving in the North, according to the divisional planning officer, Setareki Dakuiboca.
“One of the reasons we have roadshows and open days is to advocate for the development programs offered by each government ministry and department,” he said.
Mr. Dakuiboca’s comments come in response to complaints from villages about civil servants failing to inform them properly about available grants and assistance during outreach visits.
“For the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development, they have reintroduced the rural housing programs and also the seafaring program. These are initiatives that our communities can access,” he explained.
He emphasized that these messages were meant to reach the communities, villages, and settlements.
When questioned about villagers’ lack of awareness regarding such assistance, Mr. Dakuiboca suggested that more information could be shared if villagers engaged directly with the civil servants.
“Our communication lines are through village headmen and advisory councillors, who can collaborate with us to disseminate this information,” he said.
In an interview with the media, he described this issue as a wake-up call for civil servants.
“We need to remember that we are human too, and we make mistakes,” he admitted.
He highlighted that civil servants need to learn and move on from their errors to better serve those in rural areas.