By Sherifdeen Amusa
Apapa Local Government has trained its workers on efficient and excellent service delivery to improve human development and expand its revenue base.
The three-day workshop with the theme: ‘Excellent Service Delivery and Improved Productivity” was held at the council’s secretariat, Apapa.
Chairman of Apapa Local Government Area, Idowu Senbanjo, who declared the workshop open, urged the participants to imbibe the lessons learnt.
Senbanjo was represented by the Secretary to the Local Government, Gibraltar Njowusi.
A member of Trustees and Governing Council, Caleb University, Imota, Dr Olusoga Badejo, commended the council for engaging in capacity training for its staff to function more efficiently.
He said: “Knowledge is perishable and its perishability is why we need to update it. We have forgotten what we’ve learnt because knowledge is perishable.”
Dr Olusoga stated various ways by which the members of staff of the council could improve their service delivery.
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These, he said, include knowing their customers, improving their educational career by updating their knowledge, being of good manners to people, dressing decently, imbibing the highest level of honesty and transparency, accurate keeping of records and ensuring their activities are tailored towards the growth of the council.
He lamented the bad attitude of revenue collectors who due to myopic thought of sitting on council’s revenue don’t acquire the necessary educational qualification for promotion to higher level.
The Council Manager, Mrs Sonate Adebanji, said council chairmen in Lagos State believed that they need to train their staffs who are assets to ensure they’re equipped with modern techniques of service delivery.
“The training intends to impact the right attitude in you in order to know how to relate with the people. Generating revenues from the people involve addressing them calmly and gently, explaining to them what the funds are being used for,” she said.
She also urged the participants to listen attentively and ponder upon what they learnt.
The Human Resources Officer, Mrs Esther Adedoyin, urged the participants to approach people nicely and always portray the good image of the council. Mrs Adedoyin also hinged on the need for the participants to improve themselves by applying for degrees and higher educational qualifications that would propel their career, adding that whatever cost them now to achieve the degree could be gotten in multiples after having the degree.