A’Ibom Govt Harps On Teamwork, Repositioning Of Public Service

By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
In order to ensure effective interpretation of the dreams of the present administration as enshrined in the ARISE Agenda, the Akwa Ibom government is proposing appointments of delivery advisors in the State public service.
The State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, who made government’s plan known, Monday, while declaring open a 5-day workshop on “Leadership and Good Governance”, for permanent secretaries and directors in the Akwa Ibom public service, organised by the State government in collaboration with the Administrative Staff College, ASCON, Lagos, which took place at the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development (Ibom-LED) Centre, Ibom e-Library, IBB Way, Uyo, said the work of the proposed delivery advisors would be to assist executives in capturing their deadlines, and sharing the dreams of government with their subordinate who,in turn, will interpret such dreams into realities.
Eno stated that a delivery advisor would also be appointed in his office to work with him, goes to meetings with him and in the process captures all the deliberations at the meetings including all the timelines, and thereafter facilitate delivery.
He stressed the need to breach the gaps between policy proposals and actual implementation of programmes and projects within specified timelines, in line with government’s intentions.
The governor also saw the need for leaders in the public service to build a team around themselves, learn to work in groups and seek people’s contributions about their desire, as this would not reduce them as leaders, adding that with teamwork they will gain from each other.
  “One of the key things that is trending in the modern day management is that government and senior echelon of management need delivery teams. Sometimes we can propose and propose, but there should be a small team to help record deadlines and help achieve, and make us meet up the deadline and every promise we have made. In the next few months, we will begin to appoint delivery advisors; people who will help executives to capture their deadlines, and they share that dream with their principals, and they know what to expect.
“Like in the Office of the Governor, we are going to have a delivery advisor who works with me, goes to meetings with me and then captures all of the things we have said, all of the timelines and then facilitate delivery.
  “If you are a leader, you must build a team around yourself. You must learn to work in groups. You must learn to seek people’s contributions about what you want to do. That doesn’t make you any less a leader. If we all come together, you will understand that we can gain from each other. So I would like to see more of these inculcated in our people in the civil service.”
Eno noted the value his administration has for capacity development towards effective service delivery for the actualisation of the ARISE Agenda, saying the training was part of efforts at re-tooling the State’s workforce for optimal productivity by refreshing and broadening the repertoire of knowledge and skill of personnel at the top echelon of the state public service, to be in tune with modern trends and approaches in organisational leadership and governance.
He thanked the ASCON team for heeding the call to bring the training down to Akwa Ibom, noting that bringing the training to the State will afford more persons in the State’s workforce to reap from the seasoned resource persons from one of Nigeria’s renowned citadels of learning, while charging participants to take advantage of the opportunity to sharpen their innovativeness and capacity to create new possibilities to help actualize the lofty policies of the present administration.
  “I hereby urge you to make the best of this training. I expect this training to elicit resourceful engagement on the part of the participants as key drivers in the formulation and implementation of government policies, programmes and projects.
“As you are aware, government’s investment in this training for the workforce is to help you gain necessary managerial skills to refine your approach to service delivery, and awaken your team spirit in your various lines of duty. Let me therefore remind us of the high expectations of government and the good people of the State on you to take the lead in demonstrating high level of commitment to the realisation of the policy thrust of the present administration”.
   The governor urged the participants, as managers of human resources, to endeavour to reinvent the public service to feature team spirit, synergy in pursuit of policy actualisation within set timelines, proposing the constitution of delivering teams around heads of government departments and agencies to fast-track attainment of policy goals.
The director general, ASCON, Mrs Cecilia Gayya, commended the governor for being visionary and taking steps to create a capable workforce that can correctly interpret, internalise and execute his administration’s policies and programmes by initiating the training programme, assuring that the training will serve as a veritable tool for attaining and maintaining peak performances in the State’s public service.
Gayya noted that the training has been designed to develop common understanding of the ARISE Agenda, identify and develop effective strategies for good governance, upgrade skills in managing staff and handling labour issues, develop strategic leadership and human resources competencies for optimum performance, among other goals.
The head of Civil Service and facilitator of the programme, Elder Effiong Essien, appreciated the governor on behalf of the management staff in the State public service for approving and funding the training, in addition to the several other human capacity development and welfare packages he has provided the public servants within the one year of his administration.