Port Harcourt – Dr Pius Ughakpoteni, a former Director of Corporate Affairs at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has urged the Federal Government to inject young Nigerians into the civil service.
Ughakpoteni made the call during a ceremony to mark his retirement from NDDC, the launch of his book and the 50th birthday of his wife, Florence, in Port Harcourt on Saturdayday.
The book is titled ‘Making the Niger Delta Work: Strategy Execution Tips from the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan and Essays on the Niger Delta.’
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration placed a ban on recruitment of new employees into the Federal Civil Service.
The embargo was further justified in March 2020 by the then Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and economic constraints as reasons for the continued ban.
Ughakpoteni told journalists that the civil service was facing the challenge of an aging workforce, due to the recruitment embargo and urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider this policy.
“Today, the average age in the public sector is significantly above the average age of Nigerians, primarily because new blood has not been injected into the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for several years.
“Nigeria has a predominantly youthful population, but unfortunately, the current public service is largely staffed by people beyond this youthful demography.
“If the country must make progress, the government should reconsider the embargo and actively strive to incorporate competent young Nigerians into the civil service,” he recommended.
The former NDDC director expressed his motive for writing the book, he said it was a way of giving back to society, following 24 years of meritorious service to the nation.
He said that his book proffered solutions for the coordination and execution of the Niger Delta Development Master Plan.
“The book serves as a guide for entities with diverse strategies to know what the booby traps are with respect to strategy implementation of the Niger Delta Master Plan.
“I realised that many entities fail in the implementation of their strategies for so many reasons.
“If the entities must succeed, then they need to understand why the Niger Delta regional development master plan was operated or performed at a sub-optimal level,” he said.
Retiring at 60, Ughakpoteni, expressed gratitude to God, family and colleagues for their support throughout his career.
He expressed excitement for this new phase that would enable him to pursue his passions and make greater contributions to humanity.
Dr Samual Ogbuku, the Managing Director of NDDC, praised the retiree for his hard work and dedication to the service of NDDC and the country, noting the significant gap his departure would create.
He said that Ughakpoteni served the NDDC without blemish and contributed immensely to the development of the Niger Delta.
“Retirement comes with mixed feelings of joy and fear for some people, but Ughakpoteni was an exceptional public servant, who served Nigeria diligently and meritoriously.
“We are proud to identify with him and for being part of the region’s development,” he concluded.
