Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, who performed the inauguration in Abuja, stated that the Board and council would drive the general policy formulation and implementation in the two agencies.
The Minister also urged members to ensure that the management of their agencies adhered strictly to the provisions of the public service rules, the financial regulations, and the procurement Act.
He charged the Board and Council to ensure that all outstanding arrears owed workers were cleared promptly and audited accounts of the Agencies prepared and submitted to the relevant authorities as and when due.
Keyamo expressed confidence that the Board and Council would live up to the expectations of the government and called on members to employ their expertise and ingenuity in turning around the fortunes of the agencies.
On duty tour allowances, Keyamo said: “The conditions of service of chairmen and members of the boards and councils particularly on travels and tours shall be subject to extant public service circulars, which are subject to review from time to time. For overseas trips, members will be entitled to the approved estacode rate. Chairmen and members of boards and councils of all agencies must obtain prior approval through the supervising minister, from the President, before undertaking official trips overseas. Such approvals shall be conveyed by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation or the Chief of Staff to the President.”
In his remarks, the Director-General of NDE, Abubakar Fikpo, who lauded the Federal Government for reconstituting the boards, expressed optimism about the capacity of the members to facilitate and fast track the optimum and more effective implementation of the mandates of the two agencies of government.
