The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, has stressed the need for employers to strengthen the capacity of their employees through training and retraining.
This, the Speaker stated, is a motivation for productivity, which would enhance output in the working environment.
Speaker Abbas made this known in Abuja on Thursday at the opening ceremony of a capacity-building programme organised by the Office of the Speaker in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) for Senior Legislative Aides in the Speaker’s Office.
Represented by the Clerk to the House, Dr. Yahaya Danzaria, the Speaker said the training was important for members of staff in his office, noting that it was the first of such programme in the 10th House under his leadership as Speaker.
Speaker Abbas expressed his appreciation to PLAC as the sponsors, “for this and many other interventions they have rendered to the House of Representatives and the National Assembly over the years.”
The Speaker stated that the 10th House was ready to engage with development partners to provide targeted capacity programmes for members and staff.
He said: “Capacity building is a major motivation for productivity in any establishment. It is my avowed commitment to ensure that capacity building is a major hallmark of my tenure as Speaker, not only for staff but also for members of the House of Representatives.
“I want to take this medium to urge you to take every opportunity for training very seriously. The success of any establishment is dependent on the capacity and output of the drivers of that office. Today, you are the face of the Speaker’s office.”
Speaker Abbas urged the members of staff to continuously learn the code of ethics and public service rules in engaging themselves, in the course of discharging their responsibilities.
The Speaker expressed his hope that the training would strengthen their capacity for improved productivity and effective service delivery on their various desks.
In his remark, the Executive Director of PLAC, Mr. Clement Nwankwo, noted that his organization has been collaborating with the National Assembly in terms of capacity building for many years.
He said PLAC has provided interventions to committees, management and other supporting staff of the National Assembly with a view to enhancing their capacity.
Mr. Nwankwo noted that PLAC would continue to collaborate with the Legislature to provide necessary support to enhance and deepen the democratic process in Nigeria.