The Acting Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Mr. Louis Eriomala has expressed his commitment to run an inclusive management system, as well as ensure the welfare of all staff while he holds the baton of leadership in NICO.

Mr. Eriomala made this known on Tuesday, December 5, 2017, during the maiden general meeting with members of staff at the Institute’s Headquarters, located at No. 23, Kigoma Street, Wuse Zone 7, Abuja-FCT. He stressed that staff welfare will be his number one agenda in NICO but appealed to members of staff, on their part, to ensure they remain committed to their work, have respect for superiors and be productive.

According to him, it is his belief that when the welfare of his staff is taken care of, they become more productive. He told staff members that his first move to prove his commitment to staff welfare in the Institute will be to ensure that staff members, awaiting their promotion letters for the 2017 promotion examination, receive their letters before the office closes for the end of year break.

In his words, “I am giving you my word. It is a pledge that your welfare is very paramount and that is why we say that the Promotion Board must sit latest by Thursday this week and possibly by Friday or Monday, we will send it to the ministry and before we go on Christmas break, we should all have our letters”.

He continued, saying, “I tell people that firstly, I am a minister of God; secondly I am a father to everybody here and lastly the Acting ES. So I start from God, then the welfare of my staff before the office”.

While responding to calls for Management to clear the back log of already approved welfare package for staff members, Mr. Eriomala promised that the issue will be addressed gradually but stressed that the welfare package will no longer be a Hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000.00) henceforth. He reiterated the need to be very realistic and be in tune with time.

Furtherance to this, the Acting ES said a committee will be set up to look critically at this and come out with a realistic and workable welfare package, since the Institute can no longer sustain the Hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000.00) that is currently paid due to paucity of fund. He promised that whatever the committee suggests, management will meet and to ratify.

Talking about the need for respect for superiors and constituted authority, the Acting ES expressed regrets that the biggest problem most people have is their lack of humility, saying that throughout his life, he has not had a reason to argue with any of his superiors.

According to him, “one thing we lack is humility. I am here today by God’s grace and not by merit, but because it has pleased God for me to be here and I will not abuse that grace. So you must be humble. What do you have that God did not give to you? So our biggest problem is that we are not humble and that is where all of us are missing it. For me, I am just first among equals and there is nothing special. I don’t have two heads but it has pleased God that this time, I should sit on this throne but I should not abuse it”.

Mr. Eriomala, while addressing the staff, requested for Management to revisit capacity building and workshops. He promised that such trainings will resume but urged staff members to, in the interim, embark on self development pending availability of funds for such trainings.

Caleb Nor

Media Assistant to ES

NICO HQ

Abuja-FCT