A’Ibom Senior Cadre Civil Servants Get Capacity Building Workshop

Senior cadre civil servants from GL 10- 12 from critical ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service have undergone capacity building conference and workshop.

The conference is organized by Akwa Ibom State government through the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning in collaboration with the Office of the Head of Civil Service.

The workshop which commenced on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, is expected to run in batches for three weeks as three sets of participants are expected to participate in the workshop.

Declaring the workshop open at the Conference Hall, Watbridge Hotels and Suites, Governor Udom Emmanuel emphasized that the need for critical attention to be given to the capacity building of civil servants for effective service delivery in the state has hugely become compelling and a key factor of development in his Completion Agenda.

Governor Emmanuel posited, “That Japan rose from the arteries of defeat after the Civil War and in a few short years became the second largest economy in the world which is just being surpassed recently by China was due to the diligence and professionalism the civil service brought to bear in their job execution processes. Same applied to Singapore under Lee Kuan Yew.

We can make our civil service the envy of other states. We should not be bound by perceived wisdom or the molds and layers of convention. We should try new angles to serving our people and have their interest at the centre of all our engagements.

“Let me start by thanking our highly admired and respected resource person in this event, the affable and hugely cerebral motivational speaker par excellence, Prof. Vincent C. Anigbogu, for agreeing to conduct this exercise.
“Americans have a saying that you are what you eat and drink. Put differently, a leader is as effective as the people he surrounds himself with. If he or she is surrounded by people who lack capacity, intellectual rigor or analytical skills, such a leader would be experiencing diminished output on the part of his or her lieutenants.
“It is therefore a welcome development that this seminar is taking place at this time when the distillation of my legacies is beginning to be condensed, when the completion agenda would be executed to its logical conclusion.
“I am glad that participants in this retreat are men and women of calibre desirous to learn new approaches to solving problems, applying ideas and thoughts that are not defined by conventional wisdom or belief.

“Though people have the erroneous impression that the civil or public service is populated by those who do not professionally, emotionally or even spiritually affect the success of the system, I want to humbly disagree.
“I am sure and hopeful that at the end of this exercise, participants would be reinvigorated and re-energized with new vistas of job deliverables. I am therefore pleased to declare this training open,” Governor Emmanuel averred.

The secretary to state government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, who represented the governor, stated that the post- COVID- 9 report that was submitted to the governor identified few infractions in the attitudinal orientation of the citizens, hence recommended attitudinal shift of the citizenry as a most urgent need to reposition Akwa Ibom State to properly weather the post-COVID- 9 economic hardship, thereby making this training to be timely and apt.

In his words, “Today marks a milestone in His Excellency’s Completion and Transformation Agenda given that he has consistently steered the ship of excellence service delivery in Akwa Ibom State as clearly demonstrated in the approval of this all-important Conference for Senior Cadre Civil Servants in the State.

“Let nobody say that civil service as it were is for the unenterprising, or for the mediocre, or is for the not sufficiently taught, that is absolutely false.

“There are very intelligent people, very smart people in the civil service, who also work hard. There is a great difference between working hard and working smart. Working smart, success is guaranteed, but working hard success is a 50 per cent probability.

“The resource person for this event does comprehensive human capacity training. It is a wholesome training to make all of you better people.

“What you would gain in this training will help in your post-retirement. It will be of great good to you. It is absolutely for your own good to make you become creative to be able to do your job well and get tasks accomplished on time”.

Speaking further, Dr. Ekuwem explained that as evidenced in the ongoing workshop, government has constantly proven that part of its fundamental objectives is the development of a knowledge-driven workforce that would largely draw its strength from new methodologies and innovativeness towards achieving more.

He added that it is his strong conviction that the capacity building would be one that will affect not only the Akwa Ibom State civil servants, but the entire state and generations to come as Akwa Ibom people begin to change their mindset.

“Never you be comfortable with any status quo, that is mediocrity. Never settle for how long you have been doing it.

“It is not about how long they have been doing it, it is about how well you have been doing it. You have to be a creative worker. That is the essence of what His Excellency, the governor is doing. Learn how to challenge the status quo, think outside the box, do not settle for less. Be the best, that is what the governor desires from you, that this state must have the best workforce in this nation,” Dr. Ekuwem reiterated.

The head of civil service, Elder Effiong Essien, in his speech averred that with a workshop of this magnitude, the attitude of civil servants in the state to work and productivity shall experience unprecedented shift.
Addressing participants, the commissioner for labour and manpower planning, Prof. Victor Inoka, expressed gratitude to the governor for graciously approving the workshop, informing that the workshop is designed to strengthen the leadership and management skills of participants for the achievement and sustenance of the Dakkada vision of His Excellency the governor.

Prof. Inoka reiterated further that at the end of the training, participants were expected to demonstrate leadership skills as well as emotional intelligence and critical thinking skills towards innovative and creative problem solving in the civil service.

While also welcoming participants to the event, the commissioner thanked the head of civil service for the partnership and all the permanent secretaries from critical MDAs for releasing participants to attend the workshop.

In her remark, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning, Dr Valerie Obot, appreciated Governor Udom Emmanuel for his magnanimity in approving and making the workshop a reality towards revolutionizing workforce in the state.

She also appreciated the secretary to state government, Dr Ekuwem, for finding time to grace the occasion of the opening ceremony of the workshop.

“Permit me to also salute the tenacity that has been demonstrated by the Hon. Commissioner for Labour and Manpower Planning, Prof. Victor Inoka, for being able to interpret the vision of His Excellency in reengineering workforce in the state”. Dr. Obot posited.

While charging participants from the different MDAs, Obot urged them to properly harness the training, thereby justifying the huge investment on them by the governor.