Protocols
it is indeed a great pleasure and honour to welcome you all to the 3rd Edition of the Federal Capital Territory Administration Annual Staff Recognition and Merit Award being held to appreciate and celebrate our collective achievements through the recognition of some staff, both present and former who have stood out in the course of performance of their duties as well as some Permanent Secretaries who previously served in the FCTA and contributed in their modest ways to the development of the Territory.
2. This year’s Edition of our Staff Recognition and Award is particularly special, given the fact that it is being held at the tail end of the tenure of Office of the Honourable Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, CON and the Honourable Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu. This is important as it also affords us the rare opportunity to individually and collectively thank their Excellencies for their selfless services in the Administration.
3. It is instructive to note and appreciate their unalloyed support and goodwill which has brought to fruition and sustained this initiative put together to recognize individuals and leaders whose contributions in various ways have impacted on the achievement of the targets and goals of the Secretariats, Departments and Agencies (SDAs) as well as the advancement of the territory. On behalf of all of us, I say thank you immensely and pray that the Almighty God Jehovah acknowledge your immense contributions and deeds in Office and credit good to your accounts.
4. It is gratifying to note that the recognition and reward initiative adumbrated by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation as part of the six Pillars of the FCSSIP 25, has indeed gained traction and become institutionalized in the Federal Capital Territory Administration system.
5. It is the general consensus that the human resource of an organization is its most valued assets. Irrespective of the level of automation of an organization, the machines and equipment will be of limited value and utility without human contribution. Above all, the human resource is also required to manage the other human resources. Hence, to Human Resource managers, it is of utmost important that we effectively motivate the human resource.
6. Sir Fredrick Herzberg in his Two Factor theories of Motivation propounded in 1959 posited that there are some job factors that result in satisfaction while there are other job factors that prevent dissatisfaction. Herzberg classified these job factors into two categories-namely the Hygiene factors also called Dissatisfiers or Maintenance factors and the Motivational factors also called Satisfiers.
7. Let me elucidate further, that the Hygiene factors are those job factors which are essential for existence of motivation at workplace and they symbolized the physiological needs of the Maslow Theory. It is important to note that these do not lead to positive satisfaction for long-term, but when absent they lead to dissatisfaction. In other words, hygiene factors are those factors which when adequate/reasonable in a job, pacify the employees and do not make them dissatisfied and they include the Pay, Organizational Policies and Administrative Policies, Fringe Benefits, Physical Working Environment, Interpersonal relations, and Job Security. These factors are extrinsic to work. The Motivational Factors or Satisfiers on the other hand are factors involved in performing the job. They are inherent to work and motivate employees for a superior performance and they include Recognition, Sense of achievement, Growth and promotional opportunities, Responsibility, Meaningfulness of the work, and suchlike.
8. The implication of the Two-Factor theory is the need for human resource management in an organization to stress upon guaranteeing the adequacy of the hygiene factors to avoid employee dissatisfaction while making sure that the work is stimulating and rewarding so that the employees are motivated to work and perform harder and better.
9. While in the saddle as Permanent Secretary in the Federal Capital Territory Administration in the past over two years, under the leadership of the Honourable Minister, we have worked to address both the Hygiene and Motivational factors concern of Staff through the following efforts:
(i.) We have sustained the annual promotion exercise and do not currently have any backlog of promotion;
(ii.) We have against all odds sustained the payment of salaries and allowances of staff in active service and those in retirement. We do not pay modulated salary and our pensioners do not need to wait in vain for payments to them.
(iii.) Activation of the Annual Staff Recognition and Award and its sustenance. In 2021, a total of 77 Staff were given various awards. This grew to 123 in 2022 and in 2023 184 Staff and Corporate clients will be granted various awards and recognition in appreciation of their contributions. I am glad to note that a number of SDAs have equally keyed into this. In 2022/2023 I participated in similar programmes hosted by some SDAs. I encourage others to embrace the initiative.
(iv.) In the second Quarter of 2023, we introduced the Quarterly Send-Forth Union for retired staff in the Directorate Cadre. We will work to expand on the coverage of the programme.
(v.) We have sustained the training and capacity building programmes for staff. We have sizeable number of staff engaged in off-shore training while many are participating in various domestic training programme. The enriched ICT Proficiency training which targets capacity building for 1,000 Staff per quarter is still on-going while robust capacity building in domesticating the development of SOP and Performance Management are on-going.
(vi.) We commenced the payment of the CONRAIS salary structure to Staff of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board while the scope of coverage of the CONMESS is expanded to many more applicable staff in the SDAs.
(vii.) We are restructuring and expanding. The new Department of Solid Minerals and Allied Matter was approved by the EXCO and the foundation staff have just been deployed. This has created additional vacancies for staff with a view to address service delivery to residents of FCT in the emerging strategic sector of mining. In the meantime, the proposal to create a new Department of Automobile Fleet Management and Maintenance (AFMM) is receiving attention. When established, the Department will oversee the administration and management of the vehicular assets of the Administration.
(viii.) We have implemented the new Retirement Age of 65 years of Age or 40 years of Service for the Education Officers in the FCT Administration. We hope this incentive by Government will translate to better service delivery.
(ix.) We upgraded the headship of 100 FCT Schools to Director/ Principal in order to open vacancies for staff in the Education Secretariat particularly due to stagnation occasioned by the elongated retirement Age.
(x.) Due to delay in the receipt of the appropriate Circular, the payment of the harmonization payment of 40% increase in the Salary of Staff in the CONPSS structure will commence in the month of May and the April arreas will also be paid.
(xi.) To address the immediate challenges faced by most SDAs in their operations, we have institutionalized the payment of subvention and overheads as first line charge to ensure that you are provided with the necessary tools and a conducive atmosphere to carry out your duties.
(xii.) The Reform in the revenue performance is yielding desirable result. The Q1:23 Revenue Performance Report gives great hope. As instituted in 2022 three SDAs with most improved revenue performance will be rewarded with a share of 2.5% of the incremental revenue earned subject to a max of N10million. One interesting outcome of the 2022 Performance is that none of the three best 2021 SDAs sustain their performance in 2022. I am glad to note the healthy competition being generated in this regard.
10. The 2023 Staff Recognition and Award holding today will grant award and recognition to a total of 184 Staff and Corporate citizen in the following 12 Award Categories:
(i.) Special Recognition Award;
(ii.) Outstanding Performance Award acroos the SDAs;
(iii.) Outstanding Leadership Award;
(iv.) Management Recognition Award;
(v.) Exceptional Public Service Award;
(vi.) Star of Bravery Award;
(vii.) Award of Gallantry;
(viii.) Innovation and Creativity;
(ix.) Award for Distinction;
(x.) Heart of the Nation Award;
(xi.) Staff of the Year Award; and
(xii.) The Honourable Minister of State Special Recognition Award.
11. Distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, no society grows by solving today’s challenges with yesteryears ideas, but rather with proactive and dynamic solutions. To this end, the FCT Administration has put in place measures to fully implement the FCSSIP-25. We have built capacities across SDA in the development of SOP and the Director, HRM is leading the piloting of the PMS deployment. In due course the 1st Batch of the implementation will be rolled out.
12. On behalf of the Honourable Minister, Honourable Minister of State and my humble self, I wish to congratulate all FCTA staff, especially those who will be beneficiaries of one award or the other at this 3rd Edition of the Annual Staff Recognition and Award ceremony. I also like to emphasize that we are all winners, because those being honored today did not work alone. They worked with the support of their colleagues, subordinates and superior officers alike.
14. Finally, I wish to encourage all the recipients of today’s Award to see this recognition as a call for greater performance in your future endeavours.
15. Once again, you are all welcome.
