Category: Special Report

By NDUKA CHIEJINA 

FOR a long time, the Federal Government had no accurate and reliable data on personnel in the civil service. This resulted in inaccurate budgeting for recurrent expenditures and other challenges.

In an attempt to reduce and possibly eliminate these problems, the government introduced the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to be implemented in phases.

In 1999, after the country’s return to democratic rule, the government carried out a Public Service Reform (PSR) study and the result was the development of the National Strategy for Public Service Reform (NSPSR) in 2003.

The strategy was to be implemented through four cardinal programmes known as the four pillars of NSPSR. Pillar three was aimed at “implementing a public financial management reform to achieve strategic, efficient and effective mobilisation, allocation and use of public resources, fiscal discipline, transparency, integrity and accountability through timely reporting”.

To achieve this pillar, the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFFMIS) and the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) were created. These are digital-based programme aimed at Public Financial Management (PFM) and the Human Resource and Payroll issues at the federal level.

Thus, IPPIS is a form of identity system management aimed at providing a centralised database to support personal planning and decision making, automated storage of personnel records to aid staff enrolment, and monitoring against budgeting and prevention of wastages and leakages based on factual personnel records and information (www.oagf.gov.ng/IPPIS).

IPPIS captures facial images, fingerprints of government employees, and stored in a digitalised data-based library which can be accessed with authorisation anywhere.

IPPIS was a reform initiative conceived to position the public service for improved efficiency and productivity. It was rolled out in 2007 with seven pilot Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) and has since been expanded to cover 506 MDAs with total staff strength of 344,625 as at September last year.

IPPIS Secretariat is a department under the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. It is responsible for payment of salaries and wages directly to government employee’s bank account with appropriate deductions and remittances of third party payments such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service, State Boards of Internal Revenue, National Health Insurance Scheme, National Housing Fund, Pension Fund Administrator, Cooperative Societies, Trade Unions Dues, Association Dues and Bank Loans.

The department is responsible for processing and payment of salary to over Three hundred thousand (300,000) Federal Government Employees across the 506 MDAs. IPPIS aims to enrol into the platform, all Federal Government MDAs that draws personnel cost fund from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Since the inception of the IPPIS project in April 2007, the department claims it has saved the Federal Government billions of Naira by eliminating thousands of ghost workers.

A study carried out by Lucky Izobo Enakirerhi and Sunny O Temile stated that “accurate and reliable personnel information, reduction or elimination of corrupt and sharp practices, facilitation of modern scientific and accurate budgeting and forecasting are the major benefits of IPPIS. These benefits are, however, threatened by skills transfer problem, poor supporting infrastructure, technological barriers for inter-MDAs transfer, resistance from stakeholders and lack of will for accelerated implementation.”

They argued that “accelerated and unbiased implementation that will enable smooth transfer of the IPPIS technology knowledge and skills from consultants to government personnel for effective management, future integration and synchronising of IPPIS with other identity management system are keys to harnessing the benefits of the project.”

From audit carried out through IPPIS implementation, the Budget Office of the Federation and the National Planning Commission were among the government agencies that had high incidences of ghost workers with 77.3 per cent and 74.9 per cent of names on payroll being ghost workers.

“This means that in 2017, the overhead cost of running these two agencies would be reduced by over 75 per cent due to the implementation of IPPIS,” the scholars said.

Under the old manual and filing system, some unscrupulous workers were collecting salaries from multiple salaries from different government sources, or not working with the government. Inaccurate and unreliable information characterized the old manual and file-based system, resulting in padded overhead cost, double pay and other sharp practices. This meant that the government did not know the number of its workforce resulting in budgeting and estimation difficulties.

Enakirerhi and Temile added that “the file-based system is marred with over-estimation of ministerial budgeting and thereby fuelling corruption in two ways, falsification of age and certificate of the local government of origin (indigeneship) due to ease of replacement of file records and other sharp practices. Introduction of IPPIS helps reduce these menace as payrolling would be central and directly to employees’ private accounts.”

The implementation of IPPIS has not been without challenges. Some of these challenges include lack “of sufficient skills transfer to government personnel which prolong consultants stay on the project, poor state of supporting infrastructure such as low internet penetration, technological barrier, problem associated with transfer of pay point due to the posting of employees from IPPIS MDA to non-IPPIS MDA, resistance from stakeholders which have prolonged implementation, and government’s lack of will and commitment to accelerate implementation of this project”.

The IPPIS project has also had some scandals coming from it. Police inspectors and rank and file under the Akwa Ibom State Police Command and some personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have called on the authorities to investigate inconsistency in the payment of their salaries.

They queried the operation of the IPPIS, saying they suspect fraud. According to the police officers who pleaded anonymity, they have been suffering underpayment of their regular salary every month since 2018 when payment of police salaries and allowances was moved from Mechanised Salary Section (MSS) to the IPPIS.

One of them said: “We made complaints at the MSS Uyo and the officers there blamed the IPPIS saying the problem is from the IPPIS. And when some of us suffered and travelled to IPPIS office in Abuja they were referred back to the MSS in Uyo and blamed the MSS for the short payments and non-payment in some months.

“Some inspectors on same grade level 10 now receive N50, 000, N60, 000, some N40, 000. And we also have situations where constables are receiving N250, 000 monthly, while sergeants, inspectors are paid N10, 000, N32, 000, and even N9, 000 as monthly salary.

”We demand to know why officers in the same grade level are paid different as salary, and why the amount paid each month is not consistent.

“The situation is that we no longer know what our salary is per month as IPPIS pays whatever amount they deem fit for each month. Some people lose up to N60, 000, each month from what they have been receiving before IPPIS took over our salary payment.

“We are therefore appealing to the president, the Inspector General of Police IGP to as a matter of great importance institute a high powered investigative panel to unravel this endemic corruption. IPPIS activities as it relates to the payment of police Salaries should be investigated from February 2018 till date.”

Another affected police officer said that they have found out recently that their colleagues with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC have been paid refund from the short payment after going to IPPIS office in Abuja to threaten them.

“We gathered that few of our colleagues that have corrected their short payment did so by visiting IPPIS through back door. That is why we are calling on the IGP, Chairman Senate Committee on Police Affairs, to set up a fact-finding team to go across the command and hear the agony of the men before we embark on a protest to expose IPPIS and the fraud they have been committing.

“Even the implementation of the new salary package approved by President Buhari for the Nigeria Police Force December 2018 is another source of concern as the fraud by IPPIS continues. It is unfortunate because this is only a mockery of the President’s fight against corruption.”

When asked to comment on this development, spokesman of the OAGF, Mr. Henshaw Ogubike, who is the Deputy Director (Press), told The Nation that the aggrieved government workers should report to their desk officers to have such issues addressed. He also referred them to publications on IPPIS placed in national dailies.

It was also been alleged by the former Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, that “by outsmarting the Federal Government Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS), some public servants allegedly collected salaries from four different federal ministries”.

Nta spoke at the commencement of a three-day anti-corruption and fraud prevention training organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), a research and training arm of the ICPC in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

He said, as a result, the commission had partnered with Office of the Auditor General, Office of the Accountant General and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to monitor and execute corruption risks assessment on the various electronic-governance platforms.

In March 2016, the Auditor–General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Samuel Ukura, said the introduction of the IPPIS is not the cure for ghost workers syndrome in the country’s public service.

The AGF noted that ghost workers syndrome would continue in the country unless the management and implementation of IPPIS was checked by relevant authorities.

Ukura gave the warning while presenting the 2014 Annual Audit Report to the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikashuwa, in Abuja.

He lamented that unidentified software developers have unhindered access to the database of IPPIS and usually set up new users and change live data, from time to time.

Ukura told reporters after presenting his audit report that the password controls for access to IPPIS were not adequate because the database can be accessed remotely through the internet. He added that the password to access the IPPIS database does not expire after 90 days.

The situation, he said, makes it possible for retired government officers to use their password even after leaving the office.

Certainly, the IPPIS is not without its challenges. For analysts, the loopholes must be blocked if the gains are not to be lost.

The Ekiti State Entrepreneurship Week has given young entrepreneurs in the state the chance to showcase their talents and get grants to grow their businesses. RAZAQ IBRAHIM reports

The maiden edition of the Ekiti State Entrepreneurship Week will linger in many people’s memories.

During the three-day event, Ekiti people proved to visitors and industry leaders that they have human and natural resources waiting to be tapped. They also demonstrated that they have, in surplus, home-grown start-up that can be developed to big businesses.

Experts and career mentors in fashion, photography and entrepreneurship, who served as resource persons at the event, were impressed by the vastness of the people in various areas of human endeavour. The event was chaired by wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Bisi Fayemi and powered by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry.

Among other activities, participants at the event had the opportunity of participating in master class, job fair, fashion runway, financial empowerment session and talent hunts. There were also various exhibition stands which served as platform for the men and women to showcase their locally-made products.

Aside individuals, entrepreneur unit of the Ekiti State University, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti and the College of Education, Ikere also identified with the initiatives as they displayed various products, ranging from agriculture, fabrics and art works. Also on display were natural resources such as kaolin, raw gold, local rice, local fabrics, art and craft materials and local farm products identified with various local government areas.

On the importance of the initiative to Ekiti economy, heads of the Community Development Department of various local governments, commended the governor and his team, even as they observed that the publicity for this year’s edition was not enough.

While acknowledging the fact that it would go a long way in showing to the world the abundant resources available in Ekiti, they urged the youth to leverage the platform to become self-reliant.

One of the exhibitors, Mofebisola Oyebade-Omopeloye, a Princess of Ogotun Ekiti and Chief Creative Director of Extera Concept, a mat weaving Startup Company, said she decided to go into the business to re-awaken the mat weaving industry associated with the Ogotun Ekiti women.

“What we do is to create contemporary items with mats because the ages of sleeping on mat are almost gone. That was why I decided to be producing what people can use every day with mats,” she said.

Oyebade-Omopeolye, a holder of Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Pan-Atlantic University, said her decision to embrace the mat-weaving industry began after completing the National Youth Service Corps scheme in 2015.

“I came home after the national service and realised that mat weaving was no more popular the way it was when we were growing up and I thought of reviving it. Few years after, I must confess that I have not regretted it as we have been able to produce many contemporary items from mat that can fit into any society and go with any dress,” she added.

For the duo of Dr. Olujoke Akinrujomu and Mrs. Oladipupo Folakemi, Heads of Department of Fine and Applied Arts and Home Economics respectively in Ekiti State College of Education, the initiative was first of its kind in Ekiti.

They admitted that with the entrepreneurial week, the state government has not only given exposure to Ekiti business owners but also has given many of them their meal tickets.

The most exciting aspect of the event was the Fashion Runway, which brought to the fore the beauties of Ekiti fabrics and the creative ingenuity of fashion designers scattered across the state. Aside the fact that the dresses were locally designed, beautiful young men and ladies, who cat-walked to showcase the clothes were also drawn from various communities and institutions in Ekiti.

On the uniqueness of the fashion parade, the President, Fashion Designers’ Association of Nigeria (FADAN), Funmi Ajila-Ladipo, said she was stunned by the products by Ekiti fashion designers and the dexterity of the hair stylists and makeup artists from the state, who worked on the models with little or no supervision.

Ajila-Ladipo said: “With what I have seen in the last three days, I’m confident that Ekiti has what it takes to take fashion to the greatest height.  All the attires were made by local designers and the hairdos of the models were handled by a young man in Ado-Ekiti. We only told them what we wanted and they gave us the best,” she said.

Corroborating Ajila-Ladipo’s position, Ronke Ademiluyi of African Fashion Week, London, Nigeria, Dubai and Brazil and Toyosi Bamisile of Orante both expressed their satisfaction with the outcome of the fashion show.

Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi identified the development of entrepreneurship as a major solution to unemployment and various challenges facing the country in areas of health, housing, agriculture and security and other sectors of the economy.

The governor said his administration had started implementing policies that will not just support education for the sake of holding certificates but equip holders of certificates to be capable of applying the knowledge gained to proffer solutions to numerous problems confronting the state and Nigeria in general.

Dr. Fayemi noted that the nation’s academic framework had produced job seekers without any conscious attention to producing those who will create jobs. He said rather than follow the trend; his administration would encourage an education system which promotes harmonious relationship between the school system and the industries.

Read Also: Union Bank holds leadership seminar for entreprenuers

No fewer than 2,000 young entrepreneurs, drawn from different fields and vocations, would be supported during and after the three-day programme, aimed at re-igniting entrepreneurship spirit among Ekiti people.

Fayemi  said: “It is in realisation of this universally embraced panacea to the rising global unemployment that the concept of hosting Entrepreneurship Week on annual basis was conceived. We have seen that many corporate leaders and global technology giants learned more outside the walls of the classroom just because of their innate curiosity to solve certain problems or challenges facing the society or the global community.

“As we gather for this three-day programme incorporating training, capacity building and talent hunts, I am hopeful that through this programme we will be able to note the core areas that need the attention of policy makers and practitioners in promoting and developing entrepreneurship in Ekiti State.”

The governor urged stakeholders to continue to support youth empowerment programmes that will enhance the potential of “our teeming youths and equally floods our society with more job creators and less job seekers.”

The Chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Entrepreneurship Week, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, said the planning committee was keen in exploring ways in which the unique skills and talents of Ekiti people could be highlighted, not just for showcasing but to attract concrete support and investments.

She revealed that a number of the participants of the programme would get various forms of empowerment and employment opportunities from institutions such as the Bank of Industry, AGMEIS and Longrich, while there will be revolving loans for local creative artisans in the pottery, mat weaving and aso oke sectors.

She expressed optimism that the programme would be a permanent feature since “Ekiti people cherish hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence.”

Commissioner for Investment, Trade and Industries Olusoga David urged the participants to make good use of what they would learn from the programme; saying that the programme was aimed at raising entrepreneurs.

Mrs. Fayemi revealed this at the closing session of the event. The support, according to her, includes providing them more opportunities to showcase their talents, assisting them with funds for expansion and linking them with mentors.

Mrs. Fayemi, who presented awards to some participants with very outstanding and innovative business ideas and projects, said she was delighted at the enthusiasm of the participants, adding that government’s plan to enhance the capacity of young entrepreneurs to become providers of employment.

“ I am hopeful that through this programme we will be able to note the core areas that need the attention of policy makers and practitioners in promoting and developing entrepreneurship in Ekiti State “

Despite the crackdown by security agents, operators of ‘baby factories’ are still having a field day, writes DAMOLA KOLA DARE

MY friend called me to say that someone was looking for house help. I borrowed money and found myself in Lagos the next day. I was already in Lagos before I realised there was no house maid job. I was taken to a ‘madam’ who told me I have to hustle. Hustling means sleeping with men of different shapes and sizes, in exchange for a roof over my head,” she said.

By the time she slept with seven men she became pregnant.

“I was shocked that the story that got me downcast was received with joy. I was told that after delivery, I would be paid handsomely and that if I decided to leave thereafter (after delivery), I could. My pregnancy is in its second trimester,” she added.

She was one of the women arrested by the police after a ‘baby factory, was ‘uprooted’.

One of the pregnant rescued women, a widow, known as Uche, admitted she planned selling her baby after delivery. Her reason was because she needed to fend for her three children, who have become her burden since the demise of her husband some years ago.

She claimed she got pregnant for her boyfriend, who denied being responsible, but didn’t want the baby to add to her woes, hence she contacted a friend who decided to “help”, her.

Another victim, who claimed she was impregnated by her boyfriend in her village, said the stigma of being pregnant outside marriage made her to come to Lagos with the intention of giving birth and then sell the baby before returning to the village.

Enter “Baby factory”

“Baby Factories” are ‘maternity’ homes’, where pregnant teenage girls and women are delivered of their babies, who are eventually taken from their mothers and put up for sale.

Most of these centres, it was gathered, masquerade either as hospitals, clinics, maternity homes, or orphanages.

The first known case of baby factory, was in 2006, by UNESCO, and ever since it has become prevalent. It has now become common place as young girls and women have now become vulnerable to such illegal maternal treatment as a result of poverty.

Experts may continue to debate whether activities of these homes, which are said to be found in many of the nation’s urban centres, may have had an impact on the nation’s birth rate statistics, regarded as one of the highest birth rates in the world. On the average, a woman has the capacity to give birth to five-six kids in her life. According to another statistics, Nigeria accounts for over seven million new births every year, and 37 births per 1000 citizens. Thus, Nigeria actively contributes to the growth of world population with the aforementioned figures.

UN child right

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child  (CRC or UNCRC),  is a human rights treaty that sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. The Convention notes that  a child is any human under the age of eighteen, unless the age of majority has been attained earlier under national legislation.

Nations that approve this convention are bound by international law.

Interestingly, compliance is monitored by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, which comprised of members from different countries around the world. Once a year, the Committee forwards a report to the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, which also hears a statement from the CRC Chair, after which the Assembly adopts a resolution on the rights of the child.

Governments of countries that have ratified the Convention are mandated to not report but appear before the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child periodically for assessment on their progress as regards their advancement in the implementation of the Convention and the status of child rights in their country.

Also, Article 5 of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, enjoins member states to guide against practices that make human beings suffer sexual and labour exploitation. The country became a signatory in December, 2000.

Despite Nigeria signing in 2000 and ratifying in 2010, the Optional Protocol put forward by the UN General Assembly that criminalises the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, the country is still replete with illegal child-selling “factories’.

‘Baby factories’ discoveries

The Lagos State Police had on September 19, 2019 busted a criminal child-selling syndicate in Lagos after the discovery of another of such and rescuing a-week-old baby in Isheri-Osun, a Lagos suburb. They raided four different areas in Ikotun and rescued 19 young pregnant girls between ages 15 and 28. They were reportedly camped to make babies and upon delivery would be stripped of the babies. Also rescued were four babies.

According to the police, majority of the women were tricked to Lagos as they were promised domestic jobs before being abducted and subsequently impregnated.

The victims were said to have been brought from Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Abia, Anambra and Imo states.

Barely a month after, the Police, on October 2, discovered another illegal maternity centre where young girls were impregnated and compelled to give birth to babies who were later sold.

The building was discovered in the Isolo area of the state after policemen found seven pregnant women and girls, who had fled the centre walking aimlessly around Cele Bus Stop with a two-year-old girl among them.

A police source said the home was busted following a tip-off. “We got a tip-off that about seven pregnant women were loitering at the bus stop and our men went there to pick them up.”

Continuing he said: “After interrogating them, the women said they were among 20 other expectant mothers in the centre and all had escaped.”

He added that the seven, who are between the ages of 13 and 27, had been found while the whereabouts of the remaining 13 are unknown.

Recently, a similar centre was bursted in Imo State, which the owner calls a “ministry”. It could pass for a miracle pregnancy centre where supposedly barren women after converging weekly for special prayers  get “fruit of the womb”. Apart from swindling unsuspecting victims of their hard earned money on the assurance of delivering them from barrenness and making them pregnant, they also operate a “baby factory”. One of the victims, who was conned, said initially she thought she was pregnant because of the changes in her body, only for a scan to show that no foetus was in her belly.

Also baffling is the impunity with which the owner operates. The syndicate is said to have engaged in the illicit trade without being called to question by community leaders and those in authority.

Also last year, policemen and officials of the Ministry of Women Affairs stormed another baby factory at Igando area of Lagos State where it rescued hunger-stricken children and pregnant women at the centre that also operated an illegal crèche.

The trail of culprits

Law enforcement agents and security operatives, over the years, have always rescued young teenage girls camped in buildings disguised as maternity centres or clinics and nabbed suspects connected with illegal trade syndicates who deal in selling babies, yet there seems to be no end in sight as the menace of “baby factories” continues to be increasingly worrisome.

However, a police source, who described the Isolo ‘Baby Factory; as a “detention centre”, said the police are right on the trail of those behind what he described as “inhuman and heinous crime”.

Two suspects, however, have been arrested in connection with the incident. They are Happiness Ukwuoma, aged 40 and a 54-year-old Sherifat Ipeya,  believed to have acted as nurses for the pregnant girls and women.

Also fingered in the crime are the lynchpin of the gang, known as Madam Oluchi, who it was gathered brought young girls from the Southeast and was said to have absconded when the police foiled their ‘business’.

• To be continued tomorrow

At a roundtable for top business executives and human resources managers, occupational health physicians and other experts say it is a win-win situation for organisations that embrace employee’s wellness and engagement as strategic priorities, reports Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF

FOR landing her dream job, Julie Adeogun’s joy knew no bounds. That was five years ago when the 47-year-old woman was hired as compliance manager in one of the leading stock brokering firms in the heart of Lagos. Like many new employees, she was always excited and eager to get to work. As operational soul of the business, the mother of three was responsible for ensuring all processes and trading activities are in compliance of statutory regulations, initiating corrective actions for resolving problematic issues and setting employees’ standards of conduct.

Although Adeogun was merely expected to provide supervisory functions over 29 co-workers, this sometimes became a difficult task. Trouble began when official exigencies propelled her into directly handling customers’ complaints regarding shares verification and communicating with them during and after trading. With this, she was perpetually on work phone calls, even after office hours. Initially, it was tough but she was confident to pull it through, trusting in her strong work ethic. However, reality soon dawned on her, forcing her enthusiasm to evaporate like a puff of smoke.

This took a debilitating toll on her, her family and work. “Without knowing it, I was ignoring my needs, family, friends and anything that used to be a source of joy to me. Virtually everyone rebelled against me, thinking I was no longer a person they could lean on. I became so emotionally unwell that I had to quit the job,” she said.

Adeogun is not alone. According to Medbury Medical Services, a medical solutions facility that provides workplace wellness and health solutions to various companies in the country, many people battle with emotional well-being in the workplace, which negatively affects their productivity and ultimately the company’s bottom line. To raise awareness about the importance and benefits of employee wellness and engagement and how the two affect business fortunes, Medbury Medical Services, in conjunction with the Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS (NiBUCAA), organised a roundtable last week for top business executives and human resources (HR) managers on how employees’ well-being enhances productivity. The roundtable, which held at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, deliberated on the theme “Prioritising HIV and mental health in the workplace.”

Dr. Musa Shaibu, Medical Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Medical Services, said discussing HIV and mental health in the workplace is good because it helps to deepen awareness about the two illnesses that are like conjoined twins in the workplace. Shaibu, who is also the Executive Committee Chairman, NiBUCAA, enthused that every human being in a state of well-being is capable of coping with normal stresses of life and contribute meaningfully to economic development. Quoting Dr. Ibrahim Wakawa, Chief Medical Director, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Borno State, he said about 50 million Nigerians suffer mental health disorders out of which about 1.1 per cent are said to be HIV positive.

Shaibu advised that HIV/AIDS should not be seen as a death sentence, with its prevalence having dropped to 1.9 per cent, making Nigeria number four on the global HIV prevalence rankings. He promised that NiBUCAA is always willing to partner and complement government’s efforts to rid the country of any disease that poses a threat to national workforce. While explaining the essence of the round table, the NiBUCAA boss said the annual meeting offers a platform for stakeholders and health experts to come together to discuss actionable steps towards achieving good health and well-being in the workplace.

Shaibu stressed that this year’s theme is geared towards assisting Nigerian workers with psycho-social support by preaching the gospel of the importance of employees’ assistance programme (EAP) as regards health issues such as mental health and HIV, adding that employees need to know what is available for them in the workplace in terms of clinical support.

“As the voice of the private sector response to HIV/AIDS pandemic and other associated diseases since 2003, we have passionately facilitated and executed HIV/AIDS programmes in workplaces and communities from which services are made available to citizens. We have worked on this path with consistency as well as complementing government’s efforts through mobilising the private sector core competences and resources via a coordinated platform to achieve national HIV and AIDS-related goals and objectives under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“We must work collectively and aggressively for the overall well-being of the country towards the actualisation of good health and well-being of the populace, which will, in turn, drive a decent work and economic growth and sustainable communities as contained in the United Nations SDGs. Through purposeful leaderships, we can check threats to productivity,” he said.

Nexus between employee wellness and profitability

On common mental health issues in the place of work, Dr. Peter Ogunnubi, Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Psychologist, described HIV infection and psychiatric illnesses in the workplace as two-edged sword threatening organisational output. Ogunnubi, who is also the team leader, Employee Assistance Programme, Medbury Medical Services, said there is no health without mental health. He lamented that the stigma still being associated with both mental health and HIV infection in the country hinders avenues for assistance, which invariably reduces productivity of employees.

While admitting that the country has done fairly well in bringing HIV matters to the fore, the psychiatrist, who stressed that too much stress often leads to distress, added that issues of mental health in workplace have not enjoyed requisite attention, as there is little advocacy or awareness about emotional health in the workplace. “Emotional issues have gone beyond wearing tattered clothes, roaming the streets. Emotional issues such as depression, addiction, poor concentration and memory, anxiety and phobia are things employees go through. There is need for employers to ensure they don’t drive their employees to that level where they will be over-stressed and burnout. Once burnout occurs, every other mental illness follows,” he said.

He cautioned organisational leaders that hostile environment can trigger mental health problems among workers, stressing that it is the duty of employers to protect, not only the physical health of employees, but also their mental well-being. A work environment that is hostile and stressful negatively impacts on the mental health of its employees, while improved productivity is the reward in a work environment that protects and promotes emotional well-being of workers. Both the employers and employees have a role to play in fostering a friendly conducive workplace, he said.

As businesses strive to achieve 100 per cent efficiency, Ogunnubi said it sometimes creates an amount of stress or pressure that pushes the employees to lose sight of their mental health. He also blamed the unstable socio-economic climate in the country, which makes organisations and employees to stretch themselves beyond their elastic limits. This, he stated, forces employees to either prepare to swim or get drowned, which can lead to unmanageable stress, a precursor to mental illness. “Through employee assistance programme, it will make employees be more engaged and productive,” he said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 264 million people globally suffer from depression, one of the leading causes of disability, with many of them also suffering from symptoms of anxiety. A recent WHO-led study estimated that “depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy US$ 1 trillion each year. A negative work environment may lead to physical and mental health problems, harmful use of substances or alcohol, absenteeism and lost productivity; while workplaces that promote mental health and support people with mental disorders are more likely to reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and benefit from associated economic gains.”

Psychiatric doctors identified other risks to mental health in the workplace that business executives should never ignore: inadequate health and safety policies; poor communication and management practices; limited participation in decision-making or low control over one’s area of work; low levels of support for employees; inflexible working hours; and unclear tasks or organisational objectives. The WHO report further explained that risks may also be related to job content, such as unsuitable tasks for the person’s competencies or a high and unrelenting workload. “Bullying and psychological harassment or ‘mobbing’ are commonly reported causes of work-related stress by workers and present risks to the health of workers. They are associated with both psychological and physical problems. These health consequences can have costs for employers in terms of reduced productivity and increased members of staff turnover; just as they can also have a negative impact on family and social interactions.”

While describing a healthy workplace as one where workers and managers actively contribute to the work environment by promoting and protecting the health, safety and well-being of all employees, WHO recommends that mental health interventions should be delivered as part of an integrated health and well-being strategy that covers prevention, early identification, support and rehabilitation. Occupational health services or professionals may support organisations in implementing these interventions.

Business executives at the roundtable, however, acknowledged that employee engagement and wellness are finally taking centre stage in the business world, adding that it is no longer regarded as the sole responsibility of the human resources department, but an integral part of business strategy. This, according to them, is because it is increasingly clear that unhealthy employees are a big drag on productivity, innovation and the bottom line. This was also the line of reasoning canvassed at the panel discussion session featuring Dr. Gbonjubola Abiri, consultant psychiatrist and psychologist at Medbury Medical Services; Funke Jaiyesinmi, product manager, Neuroscience Janseen; Dr. John Umogbai, clinical lead, Olive Prime; and Dr. Ogunjobi Olayiwola, medical advisor, APM Terminal.

Because the principle that engagement and wellness are inseparable is increasingly being embraced in modern business world, Dr. Abiri and other EAP professionals said they align with studies that have shown that healthy employees tend to be happier besides showing higher rates of job satisfaction and productivity. Such employees are also said to be less vulnerable to stress, a significant driver of poor health. Healthy and engaged employees, in concert with a strong workplace culture, are the secret sauce for business success or greater profitability, experts said.

He also cited findings of studies conducted in various parts world showing that the most successful organizations are the ones that have made employee engagement central to their business strategy by giving employees clear expectations and provide them with the tools and support to do their best work. Empathy is an essential part of emotional intelligence, the ability to identify and manage one’s own

emotions and be mindful of the emotions of others. Engagement and empathy are inextricably linked, as employees are unlikely to feel truly respected and empowered in an organisation that does not show empathy.

Studies have also shown that health and wellness initiatives in the workplace are a boost to overall engagement and productivity. For example, in Canada, stress-related absences cost employers about $3.5 billion each year, with six in ten Canadian workers believing that their employers have some responsibility in ensuring their good health. Some studies reported that organizations with highly effective health and productivity programmes record about 11 per cent higher revenue per employee, 1.8 fewer days absent per employee per year, and 28 per cent greater shareholder returns. Of employers offering wellness programmes, 67 per cent reported increased employee satisfaction, 66 per cent reported increased productivity, 63 per cent reported increased financial sustainability and growth, and 50 per cent reported decreased absenteeism.

While giving the vote of thanks, Dr. Ademolu Owoyele, general manager, Medbury Medical Services, echoed the views other EAP experts, saying stress is associated with negative health effects such as headaches and feeling anxious, depressed or overwhelmed – and decreased productivity. All of these can impact companies’ bottom lines. He therefore enjoined business owners and employees to prioritise emotional wellness by inculcating mental health and HIV issues in the business. As far as he is concerned, employee engagement and wellness are about protecting the human capital, a company’s most valuable asset, saying organizations that ensure their employees flourish and thrive will always be ahead of the curve.

Why companies do pre-employment medical test

Two thorny issues that seemed to divide the camps of business leaders and occupational health experts are whether or not pre-employment medical tests should be mandatory and, if yes, who should be in charge of the test – HR managers or occupation health doctors. After a lecture and demonstration by Dr. Emmanuel Godwin on the future of HIV self-testing, participants agreed that having prospective employees to submit themselves for pre-employment tests can be tricky.

While some HR managers insist that it is within their office to oversee the tests, Dr. Abiri cleared the air, saying it is absolutely wrong for any non-medical personnel to be involved in pre-employment tests. His reason: it can lead to litigations if non-medical professional is established to have seen the test result, which may be especially worse if consent is not sought before carrying out the test. Only professionals who have taken the Hippocratic oath can handle people’s medical records in a way that will not lead the organization into stormy waters, he advised. While enlightening HR executives about the essence of pre-employment test, Dr. Shaibu said it is no big deal as it is being portrayed, stressing that the simple reason behind is to have the baseline medical data of all workers as at the time they are being recruited. Such records usually come in handy in future, he said.

The Federal Government gave the standard gauge contractor one-month ultimatum to complete all minor stations. ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE examines the quest to deliver this project, which analysts believe will have positive impacts on the economy

FOR the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the contractor handling the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge project, time is no longer a luxury. At the last routine tour of the project on October 28, Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi was livid. He simply could not understand why CCECC had been long on promises and short on delivery.

He had a good cause to be aggrieved. He gained his return ticket to the ministry on the basis of his determination to deliver the nation’s third standard gauge project and he is determined to get it done before the expiration of its three-year cycle which lapses February 2020.

So he gave the contractor what appears to be a tall order – complete all smaller stations on the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge rail corridor in one month. By November 25, the seven stations must be ready, as according to him, a free train ride from Iju, Lagos-Ibadan must begin by month-end. The free service, he said, will run until Christmas ahead of the major flag-off of commercial activity in the New Year.

Amaechi had every reason to be disgusted. CCECC had in May promised these stations would be ready in three months. It said everything to make this happen and to deliver by July or latest August was ready. But as at October, none of the stations was standing.

The entire stretch had 10 stations and three – at Ebute-Meta, Abeokuta and Ibadan are proposed as mega stations, while seven others are minor stations.

The speed train line will have 10 ultra-modern railway stations with four in Lagos: (Apapa, Lagos, Agege and Agbado), three in Ogun: (Kajola, Papalanto and Abeokuta), and three in Oyo: (Olodo, Omi Adio, and Ibadan).

The 156 km line will have four extra-large bridges, 11 large bridges, four medium bridges two steel bridges, 10 frame bridges, 207 culverts, 40 railway crossing-no level crossing and 31 pedestrian overpasses.

The 157-kilometre Lagos-Abeokuta-Ibadan Railway is the first railway in the Southwest since 1896, when the first line, which was the backbone of what is now known as the NRC’s western line, was laid.

With an initial contract sum of $1.5 billion, which has jumped to about $2 billion due to several variations to the project variation, the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge was originally penned to be delivered by the CCECC in 36 months. This first cycle ends in May 2020.

Amaechi was put at this same spot last year, when he had to cancel an assessment tour earlier scheduled for President Muhammadu Buhari on the heels of the then-presidential campaigns.

“If I tell you I am impressed with the level of work at the Lagos end I would be lying,” he told the CCECC officials.

And this much he traced to a number of hurdles, chief among them being the relocation of water pipes, which the sub-contractor ought to have delivered by November 5, but has been extended for another two months “because of other unforeseen exigencies which they encountered in the course of the relocation”. About 34 kilometres of pipes were affected by the relocation.

Impediments

Lagos had posted the most difficult challenge to the actualisation of the project. This, according to sources, was due to the state being already built up. Aside the water mains, gas and petroleum pipelines, which were submerged underground and in the sea, high tension power lines, overhead bridges, and several structures had been some of the impediments at the Apapa and Lagos end of the project.

Amaechi said: “Though these are real and tenable excuses, they are not permissible, as these are “known challenges for which solutions ought to have been proffered.” While the other three segments of the project started in 2016, work did not begin on the Lagos corridor until June this year.

“Everything but money could impede the progress and delivery of the project,” Amaechi had said, alluding to the fact that the Buhari government had paid its counterpart funding of the Lagos-Ibadan speed train rail project.

Showpiece

The minister believed a firm which could construct 1,500 kilometres of rail lines in its home country should not find delivering 156.56 kilometres hard.

A top Team Consults source, who asked not to be named, said: “The project could have achieved more strides by now, if the contractor had started from the hinterland, which had but little challenges outside payment of compensations for those whose land or buildings were acquired for the project but had first started working from Lagos, beginning from Ebute-Metta (where the then Acting President Yemi Osinbajo) flagged it off in March 2017.

“They had to stop when it was discovered that little or no progress was being made and today, we are living witnesses to what could be done if the CCECC had fewer encumbrances to contend with,” he said.

The source, whose firm oversees the contractor on behalf of the Federal Government, said the uncertainty over the December deadline was compounded by the heavy rainfall. According to him, the unpredictable pattern of rainfall affected the work plan, as it made access to the site difficult and increased the water level of the water bodies along the corridor.

On likely delivery date, the source said a more likely delivery period could be the first quarter of 2020. He, however, envisaged that since there may be likely disruptions within the electioneering period, this may be extended to the second quarter.

When the project failed in December, Amaechi had promised its inauguration on or before May. That was not to be, a development which had irked the Minister of Transportation.

That was why he gave CCECC till November 25th to complete the construction of the 7 minor stations on the Lagos-Ibadan rail project and also to complete the construction of the rail tracks from Iju to Ebute Metta, kilometre 20 to kilometre 4.

Amaechi, who spoke at Kajola, on Monday, said the construction company had not lived up to their promise of completing the stations in three months.

“They said before the dissolution of the cabinet that, they were going to complete the stations in three months. May, June and July but we are here today in October and the stations are not completed.

“What do we agree the last time we were here, we said the next meeting will be holding here because we told the Chinese company that this place should be completed, is this place completed? So why did you bring us here?” the Minister questioned CCECC.

“You have refused to bring your materials in and we are not owning you one Kobo, we have paid everything so what is the problem! You (CCECC) gave three months to complete these buildings and now you are giving the excuse that your materials from China have not arrived.

“The reason we gave you the contract was for you to grow our local economy, but now you bring doors from China, you bring widows from China, you bring roofing sheets from China and if we are not careful, you will bring sand from China.”

He, therefore, urged the Director of Railway, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and CCECC to ensure that “next meeting Monday 25th November will hold here in a completed environment, not just here but most of the minor stations.

“If the CCECC met this deadline, the government will be able to commence test running of the rail line by November 30,” if the coaches we are expecting from China had not arrived, we will use the two coaches here. We will start trial runs because we made promises to Nigerians and we must fulfil that promise, so the test running must start from Ebute Metta to Ibadan,” he noted.

The minister again urged the contractor to deploy more equipment and personnel to ensure timely completion of the stations and the project in general, “I know that I am putting pressure on you but you must ensure that you do quality and standard job while trying to meet your deadline,” he stated.

An engineer with CCECC, Xia Liju said the company was sourcing materials for the construction of the stations locally, “we are sourcing all the materials here, we are not importing them” he explained.

Xia explained further that heavy rain had hindered the construction of the stations and laying of tracks from Iju to Ebute Meta.

The 36 months Lagos-Ibadan rail project is expected to terminate in February.

The gesture, according to him, will further ease travel pattern, especially for those who wish to travel for Christmas.

The minister noted that the operation would commence with two Executive coaches, pending when more coaches would arrive from China.

Ameachi also revealed that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo would lay the foundation for the establishment of the Railway Factory proposed for assembling and manufacturing of coaches and locomotives at Kajola before the end of November.

It is expected that the factory will create employment and boost the country’s economy.

On the free train ride, the minister said: “My concern is to have coaches on these tracks to convey passengers, who will like to travel for Christmas.

“On the 30th, we will commence test-run but the issue is that we want to start it from Ebute Meta, but they are saying it is Iju that is ready. As far as Lagosians are concerned, Iju is in Ogun State, and that is why I am pushing them to get to Ebute Meta.

“We may start with the Executive coaches. The reason why I am certain about the ride is because of the fact that other coaches are expected to arrive in Nigeria from China before Christmas.

“Even if they arrive in the second week of December, we don’t know how long it will take them to be cleared from the seaport. Once they are cleared from the seaport, it may take one or two days for them to get here.

“But I will struggle to make sure that before Christmas, it happens. But even if it does not happen, the executive coach will be available. The only problem with this is that we will insist on 24 passengers on each coach, making it 48 for the two.”

Speaking on the progress of work on the route, the minister explained that the policy change by the Chinese will hasten the completion of the project.

He said: “It was good that they have changed all their policies. Before now, they bring all the materials from China and they have to wait for it to be imported before they start work despite their readiness to work.

“Now, they have said that all materials will be got locally. Why do they have to import doors, windows from China? With the change of policy, the progress of work will improve.

“They said the reason for the delay is due to the inclement weather.”

He also dismissed the notion that another contractor would have performed differently.

On the Kajola factory, he said: “In signing the agreement between Nigeria and the Chinese company, we agreed with them that they should produce most of the materials they need locally and they said it would be a bit difficult for them. So, we reached an agreement that they should start assembling wagons.

“Five years after that, they should start producing wagons and assembling coaches and locomotives and ten years after that, they should start producing locomotives and coaches here.

“Their argument is that if they produce, we will buy from them, instead of buying from outside and I told them that we will enter into an agreement to buy from them. That way, we will be able to pay naira and save scarce dollars.”

For now, Nigerians are waiting for the completion of this project, which, analysts believe will not only boost the economy but will also ease the movement of goods and passengers across the country.

It was a time of reckoning for Boeing management team led by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dennis Muilenburg, on Tuesday and Wednesday as the United States (U.S.) lawmakers grilled them about the deaths and lack of accountability before and after 737 MAX jets were grounded, BOLA OLAJUWON writes

IN March 2019, after two new Boeing 737 MAX passenger airliners crashed within five months, killing all 346 people aboard, aviation authorities around the world grounded the aircraft. The accidents befell Lion Air Flight 610 on October 29, last year and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, 2019.

Last week, an Indonesian report into the Lion Air crash criticised the design of the anti-stall system that left pilots fighting for control, as well as “deficiencies” in the flight crew’s communication and manual control of the aircraft.

The decision to rest the aircraft is estimated to have cost Boeing as much as $9 billion. United States (U.S.) lawmakers, during the week, kick-started a series of hearings about issues leading to the accidents during the week.

Rendering an apology

Muilenburg, who was forced to step down as Boeing chairman earlier this month after emails suggesting Boeing test pilots knew about defects in an anti-stall system in the aircraft, but failed to alert regulators, opened his testimony with an apology to the family members of crash victims.

“We are sorry, truly and deeply sorry. As a husband and father, I am heartbroken by your losses,” Muilenburg told the family members at the hearing.

He was appearing at the first of a series of congressional committee hearings. Tuesday’s hearing occurred on the first anniversary of the Lion Air flight 610 crash in Indonesia that killed 189 people.

The aircraft manufacturing chief executive admitted that the aeroplane manufacturer got things wrong in the development of the 737 MAX airliner and deserved the scrutiny it is receiving.

Muilenburg told the Senate committee that the company had learned and is still learning from two crashes of 737 MAX airliners and a worldwide grounding of the aeroplane.

“We know we made mistakes and got some things wrong. We own that, and we are fixing them,” Muilenburg said, according to a transcript of his testimony discovered by The Nation.

Muilenburg told the committee that Boeing had developed improvements to the 737 MAX “to ensure that accidents like these never happen again” and is learning deeper lessons that will result in improvement in the design of future aeroplanes.

He also admitted that airlines that buy Boeing planes and their pilots have told the company that it didn’t communicate enough about MCAS software system “and we’ve heard them”.

He pledged that when the 737 Max is returned to service, “it will be one of the safest aeroplanes ever to fly”.

Unmoved lawmakers

But, the lawmakers who were not taking in by Muilenburg’s apology over the failure of the aircraft maker and US regulators to identify and correct flaws in the design of the 737 Max jet that led to two crashes, bored their fangs

He was subjected to withering questioning from the politicians from both sides of the political aisle.

The lawmakers accused Boeing of putting profits over safety and developing a cosy relationship with regulators that permitted the company to rush the 737 Max, Boeing’s most profitable model, into service.

“Both of these accidents were entirely avoidable,” the Mississippi senator Roger Wicker, a Republican, said. “We cannot fathom the pain experienced by the families of those 346 souls who were lost,” he added.

On Wednesday, Muilenburg’s salary became the subject of the second day of the Congressional hearings.

Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., questioned in a heated exchange whether Muilenburg was taking responsibility for the fallout from the crashes, which killed 346 people in total. Cohen asked if anyone at the company had taken a pay cut amid the grounding of the 737 Max.

“You’re saying you’re not giving up any compensation at all,” Cohen asked Muilenburg. “You’re continuing to work and make $30 million a year after this horrific two accidents that caused all these people’s relatives to go, to disappear, to die,” the lawmaker said.

Muilenburg earned total compensation of just under $23.4 million for 2018, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. He also cashed in delayed stock payouts from previous years, bringing his total actual compensation for the year to $30 million.

When Muilenburg was asked directly if he would take a cut in pay, he said the company’s board makes those decisions.

“You’re not accountable then,” Cohen said. “You’re saying the board’s accountable,” the lawmaker added.

Boeing replaced the head of its commercial aeroplane unit Kevin McAllister earlier this month. He is the most senior executive to leave in the wake of the catastrophes.

Muilenburg said during the questioning on Wednesday by members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that he has not offered to resign following the 737 Max crashes.

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., who chairs the committee, also challenged Muilenburg on his compensation and the consequences he has faced after the two crashes.

“You are the CEO of the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world. You’re earning a heck of a lot of money, and so far the consequence to you has been, oh, you’re not the chairman of the board anymore,” DeFazio said.

At the hearing, the Connecticut Democratic senator Richard Blumenthal sharply accused Boeing of engaging in “a pattern of deliberate concealment”, noting that Boeing’s 1,600-page pilot’s manual mentions the so-called MCAS anti-stall system just once. Blumenthal accused Muilenberg and Boeing of supplying “flying coffins as a result of Boeing deciding to conceal MCAS from pilots”.

At issue are recently disclosed internal instant messages that Boeing had not previously handed to committee investigators. The messages, sent by Boeing’s chief test pilot Mark Forkner in 2016, complained of “egregious” erratic behaviour in flight simulator tests of the MCAS system and referred to “Jedi mind tricks” to persuade regulators to approve the plane.

Muilenburg claimed he was not fully briefed on the details of the messages until a “couple of weeks ago” despite the company knowing of the exchange before the Ethiopian airlines crash.

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz called the test pilot’s exchange “shocking” and accused Boeing of withholding knowledge of the faults of the system from regulators.

Cruz said: “How come your team didn’t come to you with their hair on fire, saying: ‘We’ve got a real problem here’? What does that say about Boeing? Why did you not act before 346 people died?”

The lawmakers accused Boeing of selling safety as an “add-on feature”, referring to a warning light that advises pilots of any discrepancy in the aircraft’s pitch, which was sold as an add-on rather than included as standard.

“If you want to be the leader in aviation manufacturing you have to be the leader in safety,” offered the Washington senator Maria Cantwell, the committee’s top Democrat.

The committee has said it plans to change the programme that gave Boeing, rather than regulators, the authority to sign off on aspects of the jet.

“We don’t ‘sell’ safety, that’s not our business model,” Muilenburg claimed under questioning. “We have learned that we’ve made mistakes, and there are things we can improve. We take responsibility for that, we own that, we’ve made fixes going forward.”

As the first Boeing official to testify on Capitol Hill about the crisis engulfing the company, Muilenburg said since the 737 Max was grounded, the company has conducted extensive testing with updated software.

Asked if Boeing could have done more after the first 737 Max crash, Muilenburg said: “I think about that decision over and over again. If we knew then what we know now we would have made a different decision.”

The Democratic Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, a former military pilot, questioned why Boeing did not disclose more details about anti-stall system’s lack of safeguards.

“You have told me half-truths over and over again,” Duckworth said. “You have not told us the whole truth and these families are suffering because of it.”

Duckworth said the pilots did not know enough about the anti-stall system. “You set those pilots up for failure,” she said.

Endless waiting for the jet to fly again

Several other inquiries are also expected soon, including an international panel convened by the Federal Aviation Authority, the U.S. regulator, to recommend changes to the way planes are certified. There is also a looming criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department. It is, therefore, unclear when global authorities will allow the jet to return to the skies and U.S. airlines do not expect it to fly before 2020.

The grounding has weighed on the company’s profits. The company also has seen the departure of the top executive at its commercial plane unit.