Niger Delta
Deputy Gov Wants Institutionalisation Of Annual Civil Servants Awards
The Bayelsa State Government has again been commended for its commitment to the welfare of workers in the state civil service.
The Bayelsa State Administrative Officers Forum gave the commendation yesterday when it paid a courtesy visit to the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, at his office in Government House, Yenagoa.
Speaking on behalf of the Forum, the Chairman, Dr. Stanley Sokari appreciated the Governor Douye Diri-led administration for prioritising workers welfare in its scale of preference.
Sokari noted that the administration had demonstrated an uncommon will and friendly disposition towards workers by ensuring prompt payment of their salaries, implementation of yearly increments and promotion of professionalism in the service.
“We wish to use this opportunity to appreciate the Prosperity Administration under the leadership of our Governor, Senator Douye Diri, ably assisted by your humble self, for its friendly disposition towards civil servants in the state.
“It is on record that Bayelsa State is one of the very few states in the country where annual increments are implemented and where salaries are paid before the end of every month”, he said.
He, however, called on the State Government to take urgent steps to address the impending knowledge gap in the service through capacity building and sponsorship of administrative officers into relevant professional bodies.
He lamented that only about twenty percent of administrative officers in the state are members of relevant professional organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management and the Nigeria Institute of Management due to inability to meet requisite financial commitments, just as he appealed to the government to consider members of the Forum while making appointments into high level political positions that borders on administration in the service.
In his remarks, the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, called for the institutionalisation of annual awards for civil servants in the state, to motivate them for higher commitment, professionalism and productivity.
He noted that civil servants, especially the administrative officers, constituted the engine room for policy implementation, stressing that the introduction of best staff awards in different ministries and agencies would bring about significant improvement in the civil service.
”I’m an apostle of positive reward because once there is a mismatch between the excitement in doing the work and the reward that will come out of the work, the worker is likely to stay behind or be demoralized.
“Because his or her excitement does not receive a commensurate and proportionate reward. The reward must not be necessarily bread and better, that is, in monetary terms. There are other factors of motivation.
“So, we can institute the Annual Civil Service Award cutting across all the ministries in the state. We can institutionalize it and ensure that every ministry produces first, second and third best staff”, he said.
Ewhrudjakpo who advocated the continued capacity building of civil servants, assured that the present administration would do everything possible to make the state Public Service Training Institute functional to check capital flight and generate revenues for the state.
Underscoring the importance of administrative officers in the service, Senator Ewhrudjakpo stressed that it was necessary for government to be guided in the appointment of permanent secretaries on the basis of administrative experience, merit and competence.
He therefore advised the administrative officers in the state to be more proactive and set up an advocacy team to impress on government to see the need to appoint administrative officers as permanent secretaries.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo assured the Administrative Officers’ Forum that government would support their upcoming Annual Lecture Series on the improvement of the State Civil Service.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Ministry of Health is prepared to collaborate with the Traditional, Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) to ensure effective healthcare delivery to people of the State.
Permanent Secretary, of the Ministry, Dr Oluwatoyin Azebi disclosed this when the TCAM practitioners paid her a courtesy visit at the State Ministry of Health.
Azebi noted that traditional and alternative medicine is also essential in service delivery of quality healthcare.
Earlier, the State Coordinator of TCAM, Dr Ruth Okhiema, disclosed that the purpose of the visit was to strengthen the relationship between the health Ministry and TCAM.
While appealing for an enabling working environment, Dr Okhiema highlighted various challenges faced by the unit, and called for prompt inauguration of the TCAM Technical Working Group.
This, she said, would translate into the formal recognition of the TCAM unit in the State.
On his part, the Unit Head and Desk Officer, TCAM, Bayelsa State, Dr Tarila Prefa, and Chairman, Modern Traditional Medicine Practitioners in the State, Dr Joe Edem, applauded the Ministry for meeting their request.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, on Sunday, said the state government would provide financial support to 40 schools it returned to religious missions in 2011.
Okowa said this during a thanksgiving service marking the end of the 16th Synod of the Asaba Diocese, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) at Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Bishop’s Court, Asaba.
The Governor said the grant had became necessary to assist the schools in running effectively, particularly in the prevailing harsh economic situation in the country.
Okowa, accompanied by his wife, Edith, up and top government functionaries, read the first lesson taken from Ezra 3: 6 -13.
He congratulated the new Bishop of the Diocese, Rt. Rev. Kingsley Obuh, on his consecration and enthronement.
“It is not easy for such schools to be managed given the current economic condition of the nation,” he said.
He commended the church for drawing his attention to the plight of the schools, especially his promise to ensure that grants were given to missions.
The Governor directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to take action on the released grants to the affected schools.
“It is in the best interest of the Government of Delta State that they are supported to stand because they provide a space for study for some of our children.
“So, we will try to take action, at least, the first tranche of it to see what we can do to support our missions,” he said.
Okowa commended the church for its contributions to the health sector in the State, saying that their effort helped to provide health care services particularly to the less-privileged.
“As a government, we have continued to pay special attention to education and health.
“Delta has become a role model for contributory health insurance with over one million people enrolled in the scheme,” Okowa added.
Earlier in a sermon titled “Spiritual Foundations, Inevitable for Sustainable Work with God,” Rt. Rev. Chigozirim Onyegbule, Bishop, Missionary Diocese, Ikwuano, Abia, urged Christians to build strong foundation in their work for God.
He said for Christians to work effectively for God, their spiritual foundation must be very solid, adding, “if your foundation is not strong, you cannot withstand the problems of life.
“Everything on the face of the earth has a foundation and a weak foundation produces a miserable life.
“God is looking for those that He will partner, but if your foundation is weak, God cannot work with you.”
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has warned operators of private security firms in Akwa Ibom State to register them or face the consequences of their actions.
The State Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Abidemi Majekodunmi, gave the warning in Uyo on Monday in an interview with The Tide’s source.
He told source that the corps has registered 67 Private Guard Companies (PGCs) in the State.
Majekodunmi said it was mandatory for all private guard companies to register with the corps, adding that anything short of that was unacceptable.
“The role of PGC’s is to provide security, protection, information and quality intelligence since they operate in locations of government and private units in every sphere of occupational engagements.
“Through training and oversight supervision activities by NSCDC, they are imbued with cutting edge competence skills and capacity enhancement.
“The concept is in tandem with emerging global trends in the area of public-private partnership to provide security and contain insecurity in the country,” Majekodunmi said.
The State Commandant said NSCDC would not tolerate any unregistered private guard company in the State, especially due to security challenges confronting the country.
He urged individuals and organisations wishing to hire private security guard to cross check with the NSCDC to ensure that they patronise registered ones.
Majekodunmi warned against dealing on adulterated petroleum products, vandalism of transformers and electrical installations in the state.
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