HoS Harps On Human Capacity Dev

Human capacity devel

opment has been identified as key to improved productivity and sustainable growth in any organization or society.

Rivers State Head of Service (HOS), Barrister Samuel LongJohn stated this when Executive members of the State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Port Harcourt.

Barrister LongJohn, who was responding to a request made by the NMA for the establishment of a Medical school in the State, said the proposal, if implemented, would impact positively on the manpower needs of the State in the medical sector.

He said considering the importance of manpower development in bringing about efficient and effective service delivery, his office attached premium to regular training and retraining of the Public Service workforce and promised to assist medical doctors and other health care providers in enhancing their welfare and training needs, within available resources.

On the new tax regime, the Head of Service said a committee, comprising labour unions and other relevant bodies, had been set up to look into possible ways of alleviating the impact on workers, but added that the taxation issue was not peculiar to the State alone as the law emanated from the Federal level.

Barrister LongJohn used the forum to inform the Association of efforts made by the State Government to provide decent and affordable accommodation for public servants in the State through a Public, Private, Partnership (PPP) initiative between the State Government and private estate developers known as RivTaff Gulf Estate.

He said 300 housing units had been set aside for civil/public servants in the State, which would be accessed through a mortgage arrangement with a reputable mortgage institution, and urged them to take advantage of the opportunity.

Earlier, the Chairman of the State branch of NMA, Dr. Faye Korubo, had called for the establishment of a medical school in the State to take care of the manpower needs in the primary health centres and other health care institutions in the State.

Dr. Korubo also called for the reorganisation of the free health care programme for the elderly from 60 years and above and children less than 5 years, and urged the State Government to look into issues bordering on the implementation of policies detrimental to the welfare of workers especially the taxation issue where allowances of medical doctors were taxed.

He reiterated the commitment of health care workers in the State to rendering efficient and effective service to complement the efforts of the State Government in improving the health sector.

In attendance were the Permanent Secretary in the Establishment, Training and Pension Bureau, Dr. Rogers Weli and the State Secretary of NMA, Dr. Leloonu Nwibubasa.