By Stella Omona
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has rewarded 55 members of its staff for their outstanding performance in various fields of implementing the ministry’s policies and programmes in line with the Federal Civil Services Strategic Implementation Plan (FCSSIP’25).
The awardees include; Dr. Yakubu Adam, Director, Procurement, Engr. Frank Kudla, Director, Extension Services, Dr. Imeh Umoh, Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mrs Kamilalu Kida, Director, Legal Services, Mr. Abubakar Adamu, Deputy Director, Finance and Account ,Mr. Ezeaja Ikemefuna, Assistant Director, Information, Mr. Yuguda Abubakar ,Principal Photographer, Information, among others.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar explained that the FCSSIP’25 was built on levels of capacity building, talent management , performance management , innovation, digitalization and enhance value proposition for public servants.
At the event that took place at the Auditorium of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria(ARCN) Abuja, the minister added that the Muhammad Bihari Administration was desirous of delivering vibrant and robust government policies to reposition and motivate public servants as well as ensure efficient and effective service delivery to Nigerians.
Abubakar noted that aside rewarding excellence, the ceremony was equally aimed galvanizing the staff towards high productivity towards achieving the diversification policy of President Muhammadu Buhari in the agricultural sector.
According to him, the agricultural sector was expected to make significant contributions to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the non-oil sector.
Already, he disclosed that the ministry in its bid to reposition the agricultural sector has developed the green alternative through the agriculture promotion policy to ensure wealth creation, poverty reduction, employment generation for the teeming youths and women to boost the national GDP.
Abubakar assured that the ministry was committed to capacity development and has consciously allocated time and resources to training through regular in-house workshops and external sessions to improve the decision making of staff as well as customer service standard.
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe stated that the programme which was part of the extant tradition of the ministry, had also become an annual event, aimed at motivating and incentivizing staff for better performance.
He stated that the programme was based on the provisions of the Federal Civil Service Strategy Implementation Plan 2021 – 2025 (FCSSIP25).
He said ministry had identified and selected officers who had demonstrated sterling performance across Salary Grade Levels during the year under review.
In her Vote of Thanks, the Director, Human Resource Management, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Alade urged staff not to rest on their oars as the introduction of the New Performance Management System, the process would be more completive.
She appealed to staff to sustain the tempo to enhance the score card of the ministry.
Highlight of the event was the presentation of awards to the staff and members of the ministry’s sport club.
