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‘ASCON, Adding Value To Civil Service Through Training’
The Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) is adding value to the country’s civil service through training of civil servants and other capacity development initiatives.
The Director General of the college, Mrs Cecelia Gayya, said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
Gayya said that the college had conducted many training programmes at both the national and international levels.
She recalled that some staff of the Gambian government as well as those of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Office of the Head of Service of the Federation among others had been trained at the college.
Gayya also said the college had trained more than 400 staff of NPA in the last three years while it had been conducting promotion exercises for staff of NIMASA in the last four years.
She added that customer satisfaction had been evident through the repeated patronage recorded.
Gayya further said the college had been involved in the mandatory manpower training organised by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation for about four years for staff on Grade Levels between eight and 13.
Gayya said that some of the major challenges currently facing the college are inadequate funding as well as issues revolving around personnel development and sponsorship.
“The major challenge has been in terms of personnel, because the staff that started ASCON had excellent training nationally and internationally.
“Again, these days getting sponsorship the way we did before is becoming more and more difficult.
“So one of our challenges is in consistently and constantly building the competencies of our facilitators to enable them deliver on our mandate.
“ We cannot give what we don’t have, so that is our challenge that we need to put our eyes on, so that our staff don’t become outdated in terms of the kind of knowledge they bring to bear on their jobs,” she said.
She also said the college had been partnering with other organisations such as the African Management Development Institute and Ghana Institute of Management to tackle some of its challenges.
Gayya said the college also received funding from Japan in the training of 25 staff while two others were trained in South Africa.
“ One of the things we are doing is to engage in partnership with organisations; for example, we are in partnership with the Ghana Institute of Management.
“For the purpose of staff exchange, we are also in partnership with the African Management Development Institute.
“We have also gotten some sponsorship from Japan, we had 25 of our staff trained last year and we had two of them trained in South Africa for a period of about three months.
“So those are some of the ways we are trying to overcome the challenge of funding.
“We are also in partnership with the West Africa Management Development Institute which helped us to train some of our staff just last year.
In spite of the institution’s challenges,Gayya expressed the hope that ASCON will be revitalised in the three cardinal areas of facilities enhancement,staff development and revenue generation.
ASCON located in Topo, Badagry, was established in 1973 by the Federal Government as a management development institution.
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The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has directed his lawyers to withdraw all ongoing defamation lawsuits against several individuals, saying he was moved by counsel during a New Year Mass.
Speaking at the Sacred Heart Parish in Uyo, yesterday, Akpabio said he had filed nearly nine lawsuits against individuals he accused of defaming him.
He said, “I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name.
“But I listened to the priest and suddenly realised he was talking to me, so I hereby direct my solicitor to withdraw all lawsuits against them.”
In 2025, Akpabio had filed several high-profile defamation lawsuits, including one against colleague Senator Natasha Akpoti?Uduaghan.
In late 2025, Akpabio filed a N200 billion defamation lawsuit against her over allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied and urged her to substantiate in court.
Earlier in the year, Akpabio’s wife also filed defamation suits against Akpoti?Uduaghan over claims she said had harmed her family’s reputation.
Relations between the two lawmakers soured after Akpoti?Uduaghan accused Akpabio of influencing her suspension from the Senate in March 2025, following her public allegations of misconduct.
The Senator had previously challenged actions taken against her in court, including a N100 billion defamation suit she filed against Akpabio and other defendants over alleged remarks that she said damaged her reputation.
With yesterday’s announcement, Akpabio has formally ended all pending legal disputes arising from defamation claims, signalling closure to the publicised litigations as the year begins.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the best form of gratitude Rivers people owe President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for protecting the interest of the State is to galvanize massive support for the President in 2027.
Fubara disclosed this last Monday during the commissioning of Permanent Secretaries Quarters built by his administration at Elimgbu in Obio Akpor Local Government Area of the State.
He said that the State has what it takes to deliver the President during the 2027 general elections.
“We’ve taken a decision,our decision is for the good of Rivers State, our decision is to say thank you for the protection we have from Mr President, our decision is to prove that we have what it takes to deliver Mr President.”
Fubara expressed delight over the completion of the project, stating that the initiative was to provide accommodation, a basic need of life for public servants in the state to improve their productivity.
He explained that lack of effective social welfare was at the root of some incriminating actions that undermine the purpose of governance, noting that the commissioning of the newly built Permanent Secretaries Quarters marks a significant milestone in civil service welfare and institutional development.
“Insecurity begins when individuals are uncertain of what the next hour holds. This situation is especially challenging for family men and women, affecting confidence and decision-making,” he observed.
Fubara emphasized the need for proper maintenance of the facility and urged the beneficiaries to protect the project like a personal property, while directing the State Head of Service to appoint a facility manager to ensure long-term maintenance.
In her remarks, the Special Guest of Honour and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who unveiled the project, expressed appreciation to the governor and Rivers State for inviting her to commission the project.
She commended Fubara for prioritizing the welfare of Permanent Secretaries who are senior public servants and accounting officers, noting that the project reflects purposeful and visionary leadership, and urged other states to borrow a cue from the Rivers State Governor.
Walson-Jack described the initiative as a strategic investment in staff welfare and institutional continuity which she noted is in line with Renewed Hope Initiative on provision of mass housing and social stability.
“The commissioning of these houses reflect a deliberate commitment to the dignity, welfare, and productivity of senior public servants responsible for policy coordination and service delivery,” she said.
In his goodwill message, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibode Bashiru, who led a high powered delegation on a visit to the governor, congratulated Rivers people for aligning with the Pan Nigerian political party, assuring that the interest of Rivers State will be duly protected in the APC.
He described President Bola Tinubu as a detribalised Nigerian who anchors his leadership on equity, fairness and justice, adding that the APC will provide a level playing ground for all.
The APC chief scribe also commended Fubara for providing good accommodation for public servants, stating that it will address issues of sabotage, compromise and disloyalty on the part of public servants.
Giving the project description, Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Works, Dr. Austin Ezekiel-Hart, said the estate comprises 29 units, including nine standalone duplexes and 20 terrace buildings.
Facilities feature a water treatment plant, synchronized power generators, CCTV and alarm systems, a gym, recreational areas, and green spaces—designed to enhance comfort, performance, and productivity.
Earlier, the Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, Dr Mrs Inyingi Brown, had thanked the governor for his visionary initiative and unwavering commitment to the welfare of Rivers State Civil Servants, and restated the commitment of the State civil servants to the success of Fubara’s administration.
By: Taneh Beemene