By Osahon Osahon
The Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), says it has saved over N380 million from blocking funds paid to ghost workers during the previous administration of the Commission.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Bashorun Askia Ogieh, disclosed this on Wednesday, during an interactive session with journalists, to mark his two years in office.
Bashorun Ogieh spoke after the commission took journalists on a tour of over 49 projects executed in oil-bearing communities across the state.
He disclosed that prior to the restructuring of the Commission in 2015, staff in their usual laissez-faire attitude were being governed by their own whims and caprices.
According to Ogieh, “The issue of ghost workers with non-conducive work environment was particularly notorious.
“On coming onboard, we upgraded our personnel/payroll system and audit. To plug all loopholes of human factors and infractions, we migrated to an updated personnel payroll system technology.
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“We introduced a rebranded biometrics system, to ensure that our staffers come to the office and that they earn salaries as appropriate. The biometrics system is now better synchronized such that as you clock in and out, you can now directly check your clocking data and know your regularity status.
“Our biometric system is a new technology that captures fingerprints and facial recognition. For transparency, every staff receives his/her clocking details as customized text messages on his/her mobile phone monthly.
“This has led to a rise in the level of transparency as it has largely eliminated human errors and infractions. Our current system enables the generation of pay slips and same transmitted to the E-mail boxes of our staff.”
He disclosed that the saved fund has been deployed into the DESOPADEC Tower building project.
Other positive achievement of the Askia Ogieh administration include staff welfare and promotion which had remained stagnant before his coming.
“We have changed the narrative of stagnation of staff to a steady, assured and seamless promotion of deserving ones on annual basis. The consequence of this is the upbeat of staff morale necessary for productive service delivery.
“This strict adherence to our corporate policy has inspired us in our service delivery agenda, and we are so encouraged by the response from our staff,” he said.
The Commission under the leadership of Bashorun Ogieh, has also improved the living conditions of the respective oil producing communities in the state, even with the depiction of funds occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, “Our policy thrust, from the blast of the whistle, was to be all encompassing, including intervention in critical infrastructure in the known sectors of education, health, power, housing, transportation and commerce.
“In addition, we also resolved to upscale our human capital development in empowering our women with financial muscle as well as creating a window of vocational enhancement for our teeming youth.
“To the glory of God, we have made remarkable feats in the service delivery mandate to our oil-producing communities in the State, particularly when viewed against the backdrop of the unpredictable challenges that literarily confronted us in the whole of the year 2020 and counting, by way of the global COVID-19 pandemic with its crunch economic effect amongst others.
“We have continued to etch our names on the development canvass of the area. This collective intervention has remained as exciting as can be,” he added.
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Besides the various infrastructural projects executed in the host communities, DESOPADEC has also touched the lives of hundreds of youths and women in the communities through skill acquisition and financial support to enable them become employers of labour.
“I am glad to announce that the pioneer students of our innovative DESOPADEC Skills Academy, DSA, (160 of them) have just completed their six-month training programme in various vocational fields such as Catering and Confectioneries; Electrical Repairs and Solar Energy Works; Fashion Design and Tailoring; Hairdressing and Makeover; Shoe and Bag Making; Tiling, Interlocking and POP; Welding and Fabrications; Information Communication Technology; Health, Security & Environment (HSE).
“In the period under review, we have criss-crossed the length and breadth of the mandate areas, on land and water, commissioning and handing over top grade projects that are community-driven and fully furnished to the people in very memorable ambience,” Bashorun disclosed.
