ABUJA – Leaders in the country have been urged to use their positions to advance the welfare of those they lead and not see their positions as opportunity to enrich themselves.
Alhaji Mori Baba, the Postmaster-General of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) gave this advice at the inauguration of two buses bought by the members of the Senior Staff Association of the organisation for workers of the postal service in Abuja.
The buses were bought from their contributions to the cooperative movement of the organisation.
Baba, who was represented by Mr Enoch Ogun, the Deputy Postmaster-General, Engineering and Technical services, said that many people who take up leadership positions do so with the aim of defrauding members of the organisations they lead.
“When you say you are a president of an association like this that control funds, you must look for a way to manage the funds judiciously.
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“For the union to provide two vehicles for the welfare of the members of staff, it is really commendable.
“It is something that people in one union or the other or the president of a cooperative society should learn from.
“If you are in charge of funds, it is not for you to enrich yourself. It is for you to cater for welfare of the common workers or everybody in the organisation,’’ Baba said.
He, therefore, called on all those in leadership positions to emulate the attitude of the leaders of NIPOST union, while encouraging the union to cooperate with the management to take the organisation to greater heights.
Mr Gabriel Imofidon , the President of the union said that the buses were bought so that the sufferings of the workers would be alleviated, especially when they would have to travel for ceremonies such as marriages or burials.
Imofidon said that the occasion was also an avenue for the workers to interact with the management to engender a good rapport and understanding between the management and the workers.
“ When we came on board, we said the first item on our agenda is NIPOST, so we said we have to partner with the management for the good of the organisation in order to ensure good welfare for the members of staff.
“Time is gone when we bang tables, we lock the gate and other things like that, we intend to partner with the management; work with the management to sustain the organisation because it is when there is an organisation that we have workers.
“I have never seen a place where there is a union without an organisation. First, is to ensure that NIPOST is alive. If I put my workers first when the organisation collapses the same workers will still suffer.
Imofidon stressed the need to ensure continuous existence and the sustainability of the organisation.
“It is when the organisation is sustained and healthy, that the welfare of workers automatically trickles down.’’
He, however, maintained that the welfare of workers would always be paramount on the agenda of the union, stressing that the buses were purchased for the benefit all members of staff.
On the issue of NIPOST being picketed by the labour union, the president said that they were legal ways of resolving issues with the management, noting that the NIPOST chapter of union was not at logger heads with its parent union.
A past president of the union, Mr Daniel Akpe, while congratulating the present executives, said that administration “is a continuum and that life is all about value addition’’ and encouraged them to do more.
A member of staff, Miss Magdalene Fada, commended the efforts of the union for their thoughtfulness in trying to help ease the plight of the workers but added that more should be done, especially in the area of healthcare. (NAN)
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