The Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Lauretta Davies-Dimkpa, has urged social workers and members of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Rivers State Council, to remain diligent, professional and committed to continuous learning and self-development.
Davies-Dimkpa gave the charge when members of the union paid her a courtesy visit at her office in Port Harcourt. She expressed concern over the attitude of some civil servants who do not consider upgrading their skills and knowledge a priority, warning that such complacency could result in professional stagnation.
“I’m sorry to say that a lot of civil servants are not in that space where they see upgrading their skills and expertise as important,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary stressed that social work is an international profession and urged practitioners to take advantage of every available opportunity to improve their knowledge, skills and professional competence.
“If you don’t upgrade yourself as a professional, you will be retarding yourself,” she stated.
She noted that social work and health-related professions had evolved beyond analogue methods of practice, making it necessary for practitioners to become technology-savvy, develop relevant soft skills and obtain professional certifications that could enhance their competitiveness in the global labour market.
According to her, qualifications in the social work and health-related fields are internationally recognised and could provide practitioners with opportunities beyond Nigeria.
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On the issue of employment raised by the union, Davies-Dimkpa disclosed that the Ministry had decided to retain some retired personnel as auxiliary social workers in order to harness their wealth of experience and sustain effective service delivery.
She explained that the decision was more cost-effective than recruiting new personnel who would require extensive training and time to acquire the experience needed to perform effectively.
Earlier, the Chairperson of MHWUN, Rivers State Council, Comrade Glory Bapakaye-James, said the visit was aimed at familiarising the union with the Permanent Secretary and discussing issues concerning the union’s activities and operations.
Bapakaye-James commended Davies-Dimkpa for her leadership and for creating a conducive working environment, which she said had boosted staff morale.
“We want to appreciate the enormous work you are doing here in this ministry. You have shown capacity and have written your name on a gold sheet, and posterity will remember you,” she said.
However, the union leader appealed for the recruitment of more professional personnel to address the manpower shortage in the Ministry.
She noted that the workload was enormous, with some workers having to perform the duties of several employees due to the shortage of personnel.
Bapakaye-James assured the Permanent Secretary of the union’s continued support and pledged to engage the State Government on the need to address the manpower gap.
Similarly, the Secretary of the union, Comrade Lekia Momah, called for continuous training and retraining of members to improve their professional skills and enhance service delivery.
The meeting ended on a cordial note, with both parties reaffirming their commitment to staff welfare, professional development and improved service delivery.
