The Federal Government said it has inaugurated the 4th National Productivity Order of Merit Award Committee (NPOMAC) for the process of selecting the awardees for the award for 2024.
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said this during the inauguration ceremony of the 13-man committee on Tuesday in Abuja.
The 13- man committee was inaugurated to determine the recipients of the next NPOM Award of the National Productivity Centre (NPC).
Onyejeocha said since the inspection of the award in 1991, that this was the 4th committee to be inaugurated for such an important assignment for the nation.
“As you may be aware, the constitution of the members of the NPOMAC is critical to the process of selecting the awardees for the NPOM award for this year and the years to come.
“It may interest you all to know that it became necessary to reconstitute a new committee as the last committee was dissolved by the immediate past minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Simon Lalong.
“Today with us, are eminent Nigerians who have been duly nominated to be inaugurated into this committee for this all important national assignment.
“It is worthy of note that their nomination was done based on their competence and dedication to duty,”she said.
According to her, no doubt, the task ahead of you is enormous but I am confident that you will justify the confidence reposed in you all and meet up with the very expectations placed on this committee to deliver.
She, therefore, appealed that the integrity and quality of the award must be preserved at all cost.
“It is worthy to state here that this assignment is of great importance to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s Administration.
“This administration is committed to unleashing our country’s full economic potential, by focusing on job creation, access to capital for small and large businesses inclusiveness.
”Others are the rule of law, and the fight against hunger, poverty and corruption, by which productivity is the bedrock ” the minister said.
She, however, commended the National Productivity Centre under the leadership of Dr Nasir Raji-Mustapha, for all the efforts put into promoting productivity initiatives like this national awards.
Speaking, Dr Nasir Mustapha, Director General of NPC said the award was designed to recognise and honour the most productive individuals.
According to him, NPOM award is also recognised organisations in Nigeria in the year of the award for achievements made in the three preceding years.
“Specific objectives of the Award are to recognise institutionalise productivity consciousness and excellence in service among workers and organisations in both the public and private sectors in Nigeria.
“It is also to recognise and highlight the contributions of the individual workers as well as organisations to higher productivity
“To also accord workers and organisations proper and due recognition and reward the most productive workers and organisations.
“This is both in public and private sectors for diligence, high performance, high productivity and research achievements, among others,”he said.
Mustapha, however, said that those nominated in the committee would be properly briefed and orientation would also be given to them.
Also, Mr Eze Duruiheoma, representing Productive Sector and also the chairman of the award committee, commended the Federal Government for finding them worthy for the nomination.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of the committee were nominated from various sectors such as Nigeria Employer’s Consultative Association (NECA).
Others were representative from Office to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OHSCF), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).
Also, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry Mines Agriculture (NACCIMA), among others.(NAN)