The Chairman of Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, Chief Azubuike Nmerukini, has threatened to redeploy directors in the L.G.As of the state to their areas of specializations.
Nmerukini handed down the threat at the opening of a 2 day workshop on “Effective Management Strategies for Sustained Service Delivery in the Local Government System,” for all directors in the 23 LGAs of the State.
Speaking at the workshop which was organized by his commission at the NULGE Consulate main hall, Port Harcourt, Chief Nmerukini reiterated that inefficiency will no longer be tolerated in the LGAs, hence the need to redeploy directors and treasure that are not living up to expectation, from their present portfolios to their area of specializations. He warned directors that shun workshops to desist from that and promised to continue to train and retrain directors with lower and higher academic qualifications for effective service delivery in the system. Nmerukini further promised to organize a Television Programme for directors to address some issues as it relates to their jobs.
The service commission boss outlined the commission’s priority as to discipline, employ, promote, appoint, return, transfer and train staff of the unified local government system. Stating that the commission has successfully concluded workshops for junior staff of all the 23 LGAs, where about one thousand one hundred and fifty (1,150) staff benefited, adding that it was the first of its kind in the history of the commission.
Chief Azubuike maintained that the commission has sponsored a pre-retirement training for due retiring staff between January and June 2013, while plans are one the way to train those that are due for retirement between July to December, 2013, he added.
The high light of the workshop was on the paper presentations, which include: “Strengthening Capacity Building at the local Government level” by Prof. Kunle Awotokun, Department of Local Government Studies, Faculty of Administration, Obafemi Awolomo University, Ile-Ife, and a presentation by Prof. Fab. O. Onah, Head, Department of Public Administration and Local Government, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, amongst others.
Some of the directors, who spoke to the media at the end of the first day of the event, which commenced on the 24th July 2013, include: Mr. Daami Michael, Director, Opobo/Nkoro LGA, Mr. Sunday Tamuno Orumie, Ahoada West LGA, now posted to Khana LGA of Rivers State.
Others are: Mr. Ngozi G. Uhwosa, Treasurer, Opobo/Nkoro LGA, Engr. Nlemogu Franklyn, Director of Works, Tai LGA and Mr. Paul Nyesom Chuku, Director of Agric, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, amongst others.
All the directors that spoke with reporters supported the view of their boss, Chief Azubuike Nmerukini, commending him for the enviable height that he has placed the state service commission. They further described him as the best that has happened in the commission and thanked him for the opportunity of being part of the ongoing training and retraining exercise that has become the order of the day in the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission.
By Blaise Elumezie
