The minister of finance and coordinating minister for the economy, CME, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala yesterday opened discussions with staff union of the ministry who had embarked on a protest against the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Anastasia Daniel-Nwaobia over staff welfare, training and related issues. On her return from the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting, Okonjo-Iweala , along with Minister of State, Finance, Alhaji Bashir Yuguda; Perm Secretary, Finance; DG Budget, Dr Bright Okogu and other senior management staff of the ministry went into a meeting with the union executives to discuss the complaints against the PS and seek sustainable solutions. The minister expressed concerned about the disruption of work occasioned by the protest and its implications for productivity and team work in the ministry. The union and staff expressed their feelings openly and the CME responded forthrightly and frankly. According to the CME, challenges in the environment, including revenue shortfalls call for prudence management of government business critical if priorities are to be met. She explained that resources are front loaded to security and other key priorities, therefore the need for proper management of the limited resources. Responding to complaints by staff about challenges in their working environment such as breakdown of the lift and air conditioners, bad smells caused by structural problems in the building, etc, the CME asked the PS to submit a report on progress in dealing with these issues in two weeks. On scarcity of working materials, CME, while acknowledging that staff should and must get the requisite equipment and materials they need to do their jobs stressed that waste and hoarding of stationery, toners, printers must be discouraged. She instructed that the materials be made available but there should be clear and necessary controls applied. She stated that finance staff should be an example of prudence and professionalism to other ministries because of their central role as a coordinating ministry. The CME stated that the ministry should keep something aside to provide support when staff experience challenges such as bereavement and direced that the modalities for this be worked out. On training which was a particularly contentious issue, the minister declared that there should be no favouritism and that equity must guide decision making in this area. She stressed that training is not a right but a privilege which must be merited, adding that to ensure that the budget is maximised and results achieved, the ministry will combine a mix of external and international training for best results. She stated categorically that the practice of Nigerian trainers taking Nigerian trainees to Dubai and other places for training programmes would have no place in the Federal Ministry of Finance. The focus, she stressed would be on a level playing field and every qualified staff would get his entitlements. On the issue of overtime, she said that this can’t be an all comers affair but beneficiaries must be clearly defined, the numbers manageable and allowances paid promptly. On promotion arrears, the CME said it is a service wide issue, not peculiar to the ministry of finance alone. She said the payment process has already commenced and all deserving staff would eventually get paid. Okonjo-Iweala instructed that all genuine cases of unpaid salary arrears be brought to her table for action immediately.
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