The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN has declared that the commitment of the human resources comprising men and women determines the quality of life in every given environment.
He stated this at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing 2020 Staff Recognition and Reward Ceremony during which 35 outstanding members of staff were honoured for productivity and diligence in service delivery at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on Monday 14th March 14, 2022.
The Minister emphasized that the quality and quantity of man and woman power commitment determines the quality of life and should be accorded adequate attention and care hence the institution of the awards to encourage better productivity from the staff.
“I believe that human resources require more attention to get the best out of them and it is part of the reason why we undertake this process of recognition and reward ceremony to those who have given their skill, their time, some beyond the call of duty and who have demonstrated a commitment that is an enchantment to others,” he said.
Fashola said that Civil and Public Servants are goal getters who can do everything and anything if they are challenged, stating that whatever government initiates, civil and public servants will deliver on them.
“I also tell my colleagues when we hold our monthly meetings, that perhaps we have not paid enough attention to the activities and possibilities that lies in the public service. I truly believe that Civil and Public Servants can do everything and anything if they are challenged, if a government responds today and say I want to run a policy of education, civil service will deliver and if after an election and a change of government and it comes and says I want to deliver a programme on free education, the same civil service that delivered paid education will move again and deliver on free education,” he said.
The Minister also reiterated government’s commitment to ensuring adequate and conducive environment for workers to thrive by making sure that the federal secretariats across the nation are in good working condition.
“At our assumption of duty, we saw that the federal secretariats across the nation where some of our staff work require attention. Today, we have essentially refurbished, renovated and now undertaking daily and routine maintenance in 24 Federal Secretariats across the nation to make the place more habitable and hoping that this will provide better and more deserving work accommodation and better environment for civil and public servants not only in our Ministry but all Federal and Public staff employed in all states.”
Fashola applauded the awardees and admonished them to keep on working hard, adding that the reward called for more work. He added that the awardees represent the 5000 staff strength of the Ministry nationwide who do the hard work, and make possible some of the things that seem impossible before now.
“For me, the Nigerian Civil and Public Servants deserves to be resourced, rewarded and also to be accountable,” he said.
In his welcome address, the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Engr. Chukwunwike Uzor said the awardees were carefully selected using quantifiable and objective parameters that ensured that the best candidate emerged from each of the category’s field of selection, explaining that it was necessary to ensure transparency, integrity in the mode of selection, and above all to achieve the objective of the exercise which promotes excellence.
He congratulated the awardees and advised them not to rest on their oars, adding that to whom much is given, much is also expected.
In her goodwill message, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan represented by the Permanent Secretary Staff Welfare, Office of the Head Of Service Dr. Ngozi Onwudiwe congratulated the Management and Staff of the Ministry for joining the train of MDAs that have accepted the need for recognition of the contribution of staff who have shown outstanding performance and exemplary conduct in the discharge of their duties towards the attainment of the mandates of the Ministry.
She urged the awardees to be shining stars and examples for other members of staff and also continue to maintain the reputation of effective service delivery for which the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing is known in the public service.
The Head of Service also encouraged those that were not so lucky at this year’s award to work harder to be the shining stars for recognition at the next recognition and award ceremony.
The awards were in the categories of: Most Hardworking Junior Staff, Best Performing Senior Staff, Best Performing Task Team and Most Outstanding Director of the year.
Responding on behalf of the recipients, the award winner of the Most Outstanding Director of the year, Director Highways, Planning and Development, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Engr. Ibi Terna Manasseh, thanked the management and staff of the ministry for the special award.
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