PS Funso Adebiyi Holds Maiden Meeting with Staff ….. says commitment to responsibilities matters.

Oru Leonard

The Permanent Secretary of theF Ministry of Women Affairs, Engineer Funso Adebiyi has told the staff to be hugely committed to responsibilities and be more productive:

Adeniyi said this while meeting with the staff of Federal Ministry of Women Affairs on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at the Ministry’s Headquarters.

“Show interest; show commitment, ask your boss for responsibilities; develop yourself; commitment pays, it’s rewarding, ultimately, it pays”, he said

Engr. Adebiyi urged the staff who gathered in to meet him in their numbers that along with the Honourable Minister of the Ministry, Dame Pauline Tallen, OFR, KSG, the leadership has begun meeting with Development Partners of the Ministry to mobilize support to develop the specialized skills of staff for service to women, children and vulnerable groups, expressing the views that the vulnerable groups of the society needs special social work’ skill sets which is like “rendering service to God” and “the reward is there for the “conscientious service provider.”  The Engineer said: “Let’s learn to place our priorities right; place the right values on yourself and your work.”

At the maiden meeting of the Permanent Secretary which is an interactive one, Felix Nwaeseni, an Assistant Chief Development Officer in Child Development Department, who spoke for the Ministry’s Sport’s Club would want the Permanent Secretary to help prepare the Ministry’s contingent to the next Federal Public Service Games (FEPSGA) scheduled for Bayelsa State to excel when it comes up later in the year.  “Federal Ministry of Women Affairs is yet to register to participate in the upcoming Games meet.“We require N400, 000 to register; we need the right kits – track suits, branded polo and T-shirts and footwear”, he disclosed.

Felix further revealed that the Ministry’s staff has not been participating impressively in the monthly keep-fit walking and jogging by Federal Civil Servants.  He would want the Midas touch of Engr. Adebiyi to be applied even to these.

Ilyasu Sadiq of Gender Development Department, who is one of the newly recruited staff expressed the wish to have the Permanent Secretary address the challenges which new staff are having with getting captured on the Integrated Personnel Payment and Information System (IPPIS), a platform being used to pay the salaries and allowances due to Federal Civil Servants.

He also would want Engr. Adebiyi to address the thorny issue of the first 28-Days Allowance for hotel accommodation payable to new staff recruited outside the work-base.  He said: “The Ministry has the mandate to address the challenges of the vulnerable group, and all Staff have become vulnerable!”

Uche Iwuala, a Principal Welfare Officer who holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work sought to know the plans which the Engr. Adebiyi-led Management has to develop those who are already on-the-job but are not trained social workers?

Engr. Adebiyi disclosed his full appreciation of the importance of training: “Training develops, prepares, builds up and makes a worker better than who he or she was”.  He further added that “training of staff of the Ministry in 2021 for productivity starts, now.”  He spells out a caveat: “Anyone who went for training last year cannot go for training this year; Anyone who is benefiting from training by the Development Partners of the Ministry will step aside; and Reports from those who go from training must follow training and get to my desk.”  He added that “Trainings are structured, you must get serious and be committed when you go on training; trainings are not jamborees.”  “We will start at the National Centre for Women Development as venue; we will invite some of our experienced directors to impart the skills and experiences garnered to develop the staff.” The Permanent Secretary also disclosed that the Management has been appealing to the Development Partners to begin their interventions with the trainings of the staff of the Ministry.  “We appealed to the Development Partners to let their empowerment start with our staff.”
On efforts being made to address other routine challenges of the staff, Engr. Adebiyi said his plan is to pay the first 28-Days Allowance for hotel accommodation on “pro-rata basis”.  “If you could have 30 percent of what is due to you in the first instance, please accept it as we will pay as funds get to be available.”

The Perm. Sec also disclosed his plans to address issues of office accommodation expeditiously.  He said the Headquarters building will be decongested as the Ministry has office space allocations in the Federal Secretariat which are under-utilized.  He disclosed that he went on inspection earlier in the day with some of his directors to see unoccupied offices in the Federal Secretariat.  He appealed to staff who will be affected in the relocation and re-alignment of offices to take such in good faith.  “We are planning to introduce workstations; and we are also planning having to accommodate some Development Partners to set up their offices in the Ministry’s Building so that they can bring in their facilities and open such up for staff official access.”

On work equipment, Engr. Adebiyi disclosed that the Ministerial Tenders Board has met and work equipment and tools will be procured soon.  He further disclosed that the request concerning the Ministry’s participation in FEPSGA should be considered approved and staff will have their COVID-19 vaccination done right in the Ministry.