05 Oct DG takes Staff Welfare Issues to Salaries & Wages Commission

By: Ngozi Aneke

Group photograph of NLRC Management staff and NSIWC Staff

The Director General of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila has said there is urgent need to improve on the welfare of staff of the commission for better staff motivation and increased productivity.

The DG stated this when he led the management of the Commission on a courtesy visit to the National Salaries, Income and Wages commission in Abuja.

In his welcome address, Mr. Gbajabiamila said the essence of the visit was to pay homage to the Acting Chairman of the NSIWC Mr. Ekpo Nta and acquaint him with issues relating to poor wages and salary of NLRC staff. He added that NLRC cannot effect the changes in isolation but needed to carry the NSIWC and the government along.

Mr. Gbajabiamila emphasized that the welfare of staff is overly poor and hope for possibilities of better packages for the staff. He further stated that since the NLRC is a revenue generating agency with a mandate of providing good causes in areas of education, health, sports and so on with the approval of the president, he believes that part of the proceeds from lottery should be used to improve on the welfare of staff as “charity should begin at home”. He also recalled that on assumption of office in 2017, he was notified in writing that if the Internally Generated Revenue of the Commission improved, part of it should be used to meet staff welfare.

Acting Chairman of NSIWC Mr. Ekpo Nta in response to issues raised by the DG pointed out that the National Minimum wages have come into implementation, which is a step in the right direction. He assured the DG that consequential adjustments on salaries is being done in collaboration with the federal government and Labour, and assured that once it is concluded, issues raised by the DG would be addressed.

In furtherance to that, he noted that the Buhari led administration had set up a committee on salaries to look into complaints of similar nature as other government agencies have same issues and would be looked into holistically.

Mr. Ekpo Nta pointed out that there is inadequate inter agency collaboration which ought to be improved upon. He advised that a Memorandum of Operation be instituted between the NSIWC and NLRC as soon as possible for better synergy and quick response to issues.