George Moghalu, managing director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), has said he would do all he could to sky-jump the image of the organisation into an enviable height.
Moghalu gave the assurance at the NIWA headquarters, Lokoja, during the end of the year party for management and staff of the organisation, promising to leave the organisation better than he met it.
The occasion was also used to present awards and gifts to the immediate past managing director of the organisation, Senator Olorunmbe Mamora who is now a minister and to present meritorious awards to outstanding staff.
Moghalu urged the staff to eschew indolence and be more pragmatic in their respective duties; encouraging them to key into his new vision of transforming the place into a pride of the nation.
“I have come to make more friends and not to witch-hunt anybody but I am imploring every staff to always exhibit their best at all times. Necessary motivations would be put in place to support you,” he said.
Moghalu also urged the staff to always believe in themselves in whatever they do, as he enjoined every staff to explore to the maximum their innate abilities in carrying out their duties
He thanked God for his faithfulness and protection from January to December this year and prayed that the New Year will be a more prosperous year for the organisation.
The staff, who got outstanding meritorious awards include Sambo Mu’azu Jaji, former Area Manager, Lagos Area Office, Istifanus Malgwi, former General Manager (RPE), Sennuga A. Adedeji, former General Manager (Engineering) and Lawal Samuel Daniel, former General Manager (Procurement).
Others are Ijachi David Ochoche, General Manager (Audit) who is due for retirement on December 25th and Engr Balogun, Olusegun Obaje Michael, former General Manager (Marine).
Also given awards were Lagos and Minna as best Zonal Offices while the Best staff of the year went to Ayo Oluranti Olufunmilayo of the Lagos Area Office.
Speaking shortly after the award ceremony, Moghalu said: “The awards we gave were in two phases. One is to appreciate those of our colleagues who have contributed to the growth of this organisation and who have retired from service.
“So, we called them to say thank you, we called them to appreciate them and to let them know that their labour was not in vain”.
According to him, “The other side is those who are still in service; we recognise the area they have performed well in terms of revenue generation.
“We celebrated the area that had overshot the target revenue. We also celebrated our staff who after due consideration across the entire country we found to be the best in terms of performance reliability, commitment, dedication to duty and what have you.
“The essence of this is to encourage them and for them to know that their actions are being monitored for them to know that we are concerned and appreciate them for whatever they are doing”.
“What we have done is to encourage them so that everybody now will start working hard to be the best staff across the country. What we have done is to set a competitive bar for all the staff.”
He further said: “My charge is that I expect enhanced commitment because we have assured them that we will look after them; we will do our best; we will make sure that our agency is rated the best by every standard. So, to whom much is given, much is expected. So, we expect our staff to rededicate themselves to take NIWA to the next level”.
Speaking also on the former Managing Director of the Authority, Mamora, the Managing Director said they felt elated that he was moved from there to a higher position.
“So we are very happy and that is why we gave him also an award to appreciate him for the services rendered as MD of NIWA and wish him the best in his new assignment,” he said. On ports, he said, “We intend to put our ports in a better and active use to get them more functional. For example, the Onitsha Port, the process of concession is on.”
VICTORIA NNAKAIKE, LOKOJA
