The Director-General, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, NLRC, Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila, has assured members of staff of the commission that his administration was committed to improve on and staff welfare for a good working condition.
Gbajabiamila gave the assurance on Thursday, in Abuja at a press conference on the recent developments by union members in the commission.
According to him, no previous administration from inception of the commission had done better on matters of staff welfare and better working condition for workers than his regime.
He said some sections of the media had been awash with reports on industrial action by members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants, NLRC Chapter, where unfounded allegations were leveled against the management.
The director-general said that the allegations leveled against the management of the commission and its leadership include the so-called disappearance of N2 billion maladministration, high-handedness.
Others are unfriendly policies, victimisation of staff, corrupt practices, anti-workers policies, lack of staff condition of service, lack of due process in disciplinary actions, among other unjustifiable claims.
“While not trying to join issues with my staff it is important that I personally address some of these issues, in order that the public is not misled but properly informed and guided as to what the real issues are.
“Let it also be known that welfare of the staff remains one of my primary objectives in my service to the nation as the Director-General of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission.
“Without sounding immodest, it is on record that no previous administration in the commission had done better on matters of staff welfare than my regime.
“It is also on record that no previous administration had performed better than my administration on revenue generation for Federal Government of Nigeria.
“Our revenue profile has been on a steady increase, regardless of the challenges faced by the commission while trying to perform our regulatory functions,” he said.
However, he maintained that the main reason for the picketing by the union was as a result of the management implementing the directives of the commission’s Governing Board as obtained in public service.
He said that the Board, after due consideration set up by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, to investigate allegations against two directors of the commission, directed management to sanction them accordingly.
“I wish to state here that the management of the commission was never involved at any point in the process of investigation of the said directors.
“As a responsible and responsive management, we only acted in compliance with the directives of the Governing Board.
“Management would like to use this medium to advise all members of staff of the commission across the nation not to allow themselves to be used of perpetrating illegality within or outside the system.
“The management also would not tolerate any parallel management of the commission in any guise, whether within or outside the commission,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)