By Daniel Abia, P/Harcourt
PORT HARCOURT — The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has inaugurated a committee to negotiate and review the terms and conditions of service for its employees as part of efforts to improve staff welfare and enhance efficient service delivery in the Niger Delta region.
The Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Alabo Boma Iyaye, who spoke during the inauguration of the committee in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, congratulated members on their selection by the management and staff union to undertake the review.
Iyaye noted that terms and conditions of service constituted the framework governing the relationship between employees and employers, providing the basis for a structured and harmonious work environment.
“Without a contract, organisations cannot function effectively. If there are no conditions of service, people will not be guided properly; management could decide to remove staff benefits, and nobody would question it.
“But when we have laid-down principles, terms and conditions of service for both staff and management, we will have a more organised work environment,” he said.
He said management, staff and the union were fully represented on the committee, urging members to work collectively and review the terms and conditions of service clause by clause, while correcting mistakes and addressing omissions identified during the previous review.
Iyaye charged the committee to place the overall interest of the Commission above individual interests, noting that the exercise was fundamentally about negotiation and finding a balance that would benefit both the workforce and the organisation.
The executive director urged members not to rush the review process but to take sufficient time to study relevant provisions and benchmark the Commission’s conditions of service against those of other government agencies and organisations.
He stressed that the NDDC did not operate in isolation and should consider prevailing practices and applicable government regulations.
Iyaye also reminded the committee of the Commission’s broader mandate to promote the sustainable development of the Niger Delta region, stressing that staff welfare must be balanced with its responsibility to deliver on its mandate.
“Our mandate first is to the people of the Niger Delta and how to sustain the development of the region. While negotiating the benefits of staff, also know that we have a mandate to achieve, which is to ensure the sustainable development of the Niger Delta region,” he said.
In his remarks, the Director of Administration and Human Resources, Sir Kelechi Nwelue, expressed appreciation to the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, for approving the review committee.
Nwelue described the inauguration as an important milestone in the Commission’s efforts to ensure that its staff terms and conditions of service remained relevant, fair, responsive and aligned with the evolving needs of its workforce.
He noted that for the NDDC to effectively fulfil its mandate and make a meaningful impact in the Niger Delta, its policies and staff terms and conditions of service must be periodically reviewed to reflect current realities, organisational needs and applicable regulations.
Nwelue described the task before the committee as significant and urged members to approach the assignment with commitment, integrity, patience and a spirit of cooperation.
Members of the committee include the Director of Administration and Human Resources, who serves as chairman; the Director of Finance and Accounts; the Director of Internal Audit; the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics; the Director of Legal Services; the NDDC Staff Union Chairman and Secretary; as well as other representatives drawn from various departments of the Commission.
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