From Pwanagba Agabus, Jos
The reappointed Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Sir Joseph Ari, has warned staff of the Fund that in his drive to uplift the productivity of the agency,
“indolence, truancy, harmful gossip and other such abhorrent attitudes” will not be tolerated.
He urged supervisors not to hesitate to apply all the “necessary and appropriate sanctions” to rid our system of the aforementioned.
Ari disclosed this at his assumption to office on Tuesday in Jos, the Plateau State Capital.
He said, “Before I delve into management’s expectations of the workforce, permit me to once again congratulate and commend all of us on my reappointment.
“We will not be celebrating today without your individual and collective efforts.
“Indeed your commitment, hardwork and sacrifice ensured that my reappointment by Mr President was a mere formality, instead of the difficult process it might have been.
“Having said this, I wish to, however note that from the targets we have set for ourselves and from the economic distortions as a result of COVID-19, the next few years will be challenging for us in very many ways”.
“Firstly, as a result of COVID-19, many organisations have either rationalised their workforce or even close shop because of the very difficult operational environment.
“This will no doubt have negative implications on revenue generation of the Fund”, he explained.
“It also means that we will need to be parsimonious in the application of the meagre resources available to us. By implication, we will have to cultivate a culture of doing more with less”, Ari maintained.
“Secondly, in times of economic difficulties such as we are passing through, the first option of most managers is to cut expenses on human capital development. This will no doubt impact the number of people we train and the revenue generated therefrom.
According to him, “What this calls for, is to be more creative and innovative, and above all develop the spirit of persistence and resilience in the marketing of our services.
“It also means that everyone from the DG to the clerk will become a marketer, otherwise we will fail and consequences of such failure are only best imagined”, he stressed.
The Director General further stated that because of the aforementioned challenges in the economy, the onus is on ITF as the leading human capital development institution to provide many citizens of the country with the necessary technical skills for them to set up their own businesses.
“From the picture I have painted, it should be clear to us what lies in wait for us as staff of the Fund.
“We must resolve to embrace today’s obstacles to reach our next stage of achievement.
“In essence, every staff of the Fund must from today resolve to justify their place in the new ITF.
“I therefore urge supervisors and responsible officers not to hesitate to apply all necessary and appropriate sanctions to rid our system of indolence, truancy, harmful gossip and other such abhorrent attitudes, as they have no place in our dear institution”, he further stated.
“All hands must be on deck in moving the ITF to the next level”, he stressed.
