By Philip Yatai
Kaduna – The Dispatch Officer of Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission, Mr Danjuma Tunkuye, has received the commission’s 2019 Best Performing Administrative Staff Award.
The commissioner, Mr Thomas Gyang, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Monday.
Gyang added that Tunkuye was given N20,000 cash as incentive to encourage him and for others to emulate his outstanding performance.
According to him, the commission has introduced an annual award scheme to recognise outstanding members of staff as part of efforts to motivate workers for optimal performance in the discharge of their responsibilities.
He said that the Director, State Planning Department, Hajiya Maryam Dangaji, also received the 2019 Best Performing Director Award, she was given N100,000 cash.
The commissioner added that three deputy directors equally received awards for hard work and exceptional performance in 2019 with N50,000 each.
He identified them as Deputy Director, Budget Department, Linda Yakubu; Deputy Director, State Planning Department, Mr Badamasi Musa; and Deputy Director, Development Aid Coordination, Mr Yusuf Auta.
“Similarly, Mr Zinom Joshua, a Grade Level 09 Officer, got the 2019 Most Punctual Staff Award, with N30,000,” he said.
Gyang explained that when he took over in July 2019, he met a responsible team of professionals in all the departments of the commission.
He described some of the workers as “sleeping giants” who needed to be motivated for optimal service delivery, in line with the principles and attitude of the state governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i.
According to him, having a team of well motivated staff is crucial to the attainment of the commission’s mandate.
“So, we decided to instill work discipline into the staffers and the first thing we addressed was the issue of being punctual to work.
“This is because we noticed some workers come to work around 9 a.m, and others around 10 a.m, instead of 8 a.m, while some disappear before the closing hour.
“With that kind of attitude, work will suffer and giving the crucial role of the commission in governance, if you neglect any piece of work in the agency, the entire state will suffer.”
Gyang said that the commission, therefore, pushed the staff to a very responsible limit using technology that mandated the workers to simply key-in.
He said that thereafter the commission introduced a monthly recognition of the most punctual staff, adding that the initiative enhanced punctuality by 40 per cent, adding that the rate would rise higher.
The commissioner further said that after some time, the workers demonstrated some level of commitment to duty, pointing out the need to recognise outstanding staff members irrespective of rank and position.
“We realise that to sustain the increase in performance is to encourage those that stood out, and to encourage them is to come up with the award of recognition for dedication and commitment to duty.
“So, during the first management meeting for the year, we presented the maiden awards to the outstanding staff of the commission.
He added that the award would be sustained as a committee had been put in place to ensure continuity. (NAN)