Staffers in the office of the Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), on Friday, May 10, 2013, organized a brief event to celebrate the immediate past Deputy Director (Protocol), Mr. Alex Omijie, following his elevation to the position of Acting Director, Orientation & Cultural Affairs Department of the Institute.
 
The event, which was held in the Office of the Acting Director, Office of the Executive Secretary, Mr. Nelson Campbell, had staffers gathered to honour and express their appreciation to the former Deputy Director, for the collective and individual impact he had made in their lives in the course of their working together.

Some of the comments from staffers, who took turns to pour accolades on him, include: “He is a mentor, a father, a man who has put many through the nitty-gritty of working in the civil service.” “He is a leader, someone who has the charisma to carry people along.” “He is an achiever, not necessarily in terms of wealth but his impact in the lives of staff.” “He has touched our lives in many ways.” “He is a teacher, an inspirer and has a way of making people to believe in themselves.” “He is contentment and faith personified.”

In his comment, Acting Director/SA to ES, Mr. Nelson Campbell, said it takes loyalty to constituted authority for one to be celebrated and appreciated in such a manner, and that loyalty in any organization is very important, stressing, “Alex’s loyalty to authority is unquestionable. He knows the job. I have studied him from 2009 to date and I can tell you that he is someone that cannot fail you.”

Campbell advised staffers to emulate the virtues and loyalty of Mr. Omijie, saying although he had gone to head the Orientation & Cultural Affairs Department of the Institute in his new capacity as Acting Director, he was still part of the Executive Secretary’s Office.

In his response, Mr. Omijie said it was a pleasant surprise to him as he was not expecting the great honour that was accorded to him, and appreciated the Ayakoroma-led administration of the Institute for the confidence reposed on him.

He went down memory lane, saying: “Since I started working in NICO, I have worked in two offices; the office of the Executive Secretary and now Orientation & Cultural Affairs. The period I spent in the ES Office under this dispensation has been very wonderful. The staffers are also very cooperative, which made the work easier. I will miss all of you as I assume my new office; but I will always work here. For me, I only feel I am going on secondment.”

He further advised staffers, saying, “I have been in service for over twenty years and a lot of staffers have fallen away due to disloyalty. The only way forward for a career civil servant is to be loyal to authority. Loyalty pays unless you don’t want to progress on the job; and always know that the Boss is always right even when you know better. My strong advice to you is simply to say that the way to the top is loyalty.”

It will be recalled that recently, the Executive Secretary, Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, redeployed Directors in the Institute, following the retirement of Chief Festus Ndukwe Ihenetu, who is the immediate past Director of Orientation & Cultural Affairs from service, and elevated Mr. Omijie to the position of Acting Director.

He has since assumed duty in his new capacity as Acting Director, Orientation & Cultural Affairs Department.

Caleb Nor
Corporate Affairs