FCET Umunze Provost Emphasises Training/Sensitisation for Public Servants

The Provost, Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze, Anambra State, Dr. Tessy Okoli, has called for a new orientation to work ethics and compliance to civil service rules among public servants, adding that the performance deficit witnessed in the public sector could be reversed with regular training and sensitisation programmes.

Okoli said this at the recent sensitisation workshop on work ethics for staff, organised by the college, in collaboration with the National Commission of Colleges of Education (NCCE) and an educational consultancy firm, SEFAN Consult.

A team of resource persons from different institutions attended the workshop and retooled participants in relevant work areas.

Addressing staff of the college during the opening ceremony at the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Auditorium, the provost stated that the Staff Audit Committee and Certificate Verification Committee from the NCCE at its last visit to the college observed some flaws and called for a training workshop on civil service rules, ethical values and dress code.

“In an attempt to ensure harmony in the work place, the NCCE recommended among others, a sensitisation workshop where staff would be updated on crucial issues bothering on: attitude to work, condition of service, financial management and staff development.”

She said the college assembled a crop of resource persons with seasoned experience to retrain staff on acceptable rules of work and warned that the college would not tolerate further misdemeanour of non-compliance to ethical values.

The provost assured the staff that the management would continue to reward diligent staff by introducing welfare packages and other incentives to encourage hard work.

“Workers displaying good work ethics are considered for higher positions and more responsibilities. Such people are honest, responsible, reliable and dependable assets to this institution,” she added.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of NCCE, Professor Bappa-Aliyu Muhammadu, commended the college for organising the workshop and urged the participants to use the exercise to increase their knowledge and competence in key areas.

Bappa-Aliyu, who was represented by the Director, Personnel Management, NCCE, Mrs. Jumai Suleiman, stressed the need for civil servants to abide by ethical values, as well as to cultivate the virtues of selflessness in the discharge of duties, honesty, obedience and dedication to duties.

While presenting a paper, ‘Attendance: Punctuality, Staff Development, Discipline, Examination malpractice, Staff/Students Relationship and Dress Code’, the former Dean, Political Science Department, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, Prof Obiajulu Obikeze frowned at the truancy of some civil servants, saying that for any organisation to thrive, punctuality and discipline must be taken seriously.

“Those who have found their way in the profession should be undergoing series of training and retraining programmes to make them be in line with the trending issues of the modern society. Facilities, equipment and environment should be provided and maintained to make the teachers more productive. Incentives, such as car loans, house loans, official residence should be made available to make the teachers concentrate and enjoy their job,” Obikeze added.

While discussing the topic ‘Conditions for Promotion, Upgrading and Annual Evaluations, Conditions for Transfer, Conversion and Secondment, Amaefula Ogoegbunam of FCET Asaba urged staff to take advantage of the various platforms available and improve their skills in order to remain relevant in the system.

One of the participants, Jacy Nwankwo, said she learnt a lot from the workshop and thanked the provost for organizing the event. More commendation came from Nwokonkwo Ugochi Jane working in the college’s Library Unit, who described the workshop as insightful and enlightening.

While applauding the initiative, a lecturer in the Department of Educational Psychology, Abubakar Muhammed said: “The workshop was commendable. Attending it has increased my knowledge and consciousness towards being more efficient and effective in job performance. I thank the college management for this laudable programme. More power to your elbow.”

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