Alhaji Biola Lawal, the Acting Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, says he will pay special attention to the welfare of workers so as to boost morale and enhance service delivery.
“The Agency can only achieve the desired excellence if the welfare of its personnel is given adequate attention. That will be my focus,” Lawal said on Wednesday in Abuja when the NAN chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists paid him a courtesy call.
The union leaders were led by the Chairman, Martins Odeh.
The acting managing director, who assumed office on April 2, said management was working hard to “gradually offset accumulated transport allowances owed staff of the Editorial Department”.
Lawal added: “The agency wants to settle all workers’ pending entitlements.
“Management will work hard to re-position NAN to its former glory.
“In NAN, we do not handle the welfare of staff with levity.
“The current harsh economic realities may have been responsible for the slow implementation of some of the welfare packages intended for the staff.
“In the past, a reporter had access to a reportorial car that he or she can use at any time of the day and still collect transport claims at the end of the month.
“We had truly enjoyed the agency.
“My desire is to bring back the good old days by improving on the well-being of our reporters and Editors who work day and night to achieve the mandate of sourcing, reporting and publishing stories from all over the world.”
Lawal said the union’s push for a new condition of service remained apt, pointing out that the one in use had outlived its purpose and, therefore, required to be reviewed.
Earlier, Odeh had congratulated Lawal on his new appointment and prayed God to give him the wisdom to administer the office with justice and equity.
Odeh said the overall welfare of the union members across the country remained the singular focus of the body.
“As a union, we believe in industrial harmony, but we also believe that only prompt delivery of entitlements of members can guarantee the peace in the workplace,” he said.
Odeh urged management to intensify efforts toward actualising the implementation of the new condition of service so as to boost staff morale.