From Sunny Ogefere, Asaba

Besides, she also explained that the recent Federal Government's decision to increase the salaries of its workforce was an integral part of the public service reforms.

In her speech at this year's lecture of the Delta State House of Assembly Service Commission, in Asaba, Okonjo-Iweala stressed the need for the states to key to the Federal Government reforms and make the best out of it for their development projects.

The minister who is the chairperson of President Olusegun Obasanjo's Economic Team, said that there was need for the partnership to enable the states take advantage of the Federal Government funds pooled together from the debt relief programme.

She said the Presidency expected that the states would use the system of matching grant to attract Federal Government funds.

"If a state comes forward and say I have X amount, then we may even put X plus 2 to help achieve a project on the ground," she stated, regretting the poor reception to the programme by the states.

"When we started it, we tried to put these ideas to the states but because it's a new programme and a new approach and this is the first year, we were not as successful," she added.

However, the Foreign Affairs Minister expressed the hope that given the same amount of resources next year, a state like Delta would come forward and make available part of their benefits from debt relief as matching grant for viable projects to be executed in communities across the state.

Specifically, Okonjo-Iweala wanted Delta State to grab the initiative of establishing a training institute, in partnership with the Federal Government, to provide the much need middle level oil and gas technicians not just for Nigeria but also for the neighbouring countries in the Gulf of Guinea.

"We (Federal Government) are inviting the Portuguese now to set up a training institute for this kind of skills in the country. Why can't we ask them to set one up in Delta State?" she asked.

Okonjo-Iweala explained that the expected new salary package was an integral part of the public service reforms which placed emphasis on rewarding competent and productive civil servants in the on-going re-professionalisation of the service.

She expressed support for better remuneration for workers but noted that the better pay should not be seen as an end in itself but rather as part of a package of incentives to motivate competent civil servants to achieve more for the country.

"In this context, the Federal Government instituted the Shonekan panel to review civil service remuneration. A white paper has been issued which is currently under review by a committee. We hope that a well-paid civil service will enable us to recruit some of our young and bright university graduates," she disclosed.

Former Head of Interim National Government (ING), Chief Ernest Shonekan, who chaired the Second Distinguished Annual Lecture, stressed the need to back up the reforms with adequate remuneration for the workforce.

According to Shonekan, any reform devoid of a living wage, whether in the public or private sector, will not be supportive of the drive to reduce corruption in the country.

In addition, Shonekan said that family, cultural, social values and the sense of social responsibility have to be inculcated in the populace.

The state governor, Chief James Ibori, represented by his deputy, Chief Benjamin Elue, said that a lot has been achieved in the state in the past seven years, particularly in the area of infrastructural development.