Cross River Transport Ministry Trains Staff For Improved Service Delivery
The Cross River State Ministry of Transportation has concluded an in-house training and orientation programme for staff recruited between 2019 and 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen workforce capacity and improve service delivery.
The three-day programme, which ended on Monday, August 31, at the ministry’s headquarters in Calabar, brought together officers across various cadres to enhance their understanding of the structure, mandate, operations, rules and regulations governing the public service.
The training was coordinated by the Director of Administration, Mrs Vanessa Inah, with the support of the Commissioner for Transportation, Hon. Kingsley Egumi, and the Permanent Secretary, Pastor Mrs Eme Affiah, who were absent due to other official engagements.
Inah said regular training and orientation were essential to ensuring effective and efficient service delivery, particularly with the continuous recruitment of personnel across ministries, departments and agencies.
She urged the newly recruited officers to uphold the principles of contentment, anonymity and loyalty, while maintaining political neutrality and providing honest and professional advice to government.
Speaking during a session on Public Service Rules, Ethics, Discipline and Code of Conduct, Inah reminded the staff that the Public Service Rules, Financial Regulations and Code of Conduct constituted the framework guiding their conduct and responsibilities.
She warned them against corruption, absenteeism, improper handling of official information and other practices capable of undermining the integrity of the public service.
The Chief Accountant of the ministry, Chief Julius Kekong, who spoke on Financial Regulations and Accountability, described the major regulatory documents guiding civil servants as essential references for their professional conduct.
Kekong advised staff to study and comply with the regulations, while cautioning them against taking multiple bank loans beyond their repayment capacity.
Also speaking, the Internal Auditor, Mr Ekpo Otu, said effective auditing was critical to promoting transparency, accountability and prudent management of public resources.
Otu urged staff to cooperate with audit exercises and maintain accurate and up-to-date records, noting that auditing extended beyond financial records to the monitoring and evaluation of government assets, agencies and personnel.
The Senior Technical Officer, Rev. Asibong Kubiagha, charged staff to align their individual responsibilities with the ministry’s mandate of formulating and implementing policies that would promote an efficient, safe and affordable transportation system.
He also stressed the importance of collaboration with relevant agencies in ensuring road safety and promoting integrated transport operations across the state.
At the end of the programme, participants were encouraged to put the knowledge acquired into practice, respect the hierarchy of the civil service and maintain discipline throughout their careers.
The ministry expressed confidence that the initiative would improve staff performance, professionalism and accountability, thereby strengthening its capacity to support the Cross River State Government’s vision of a robust, efficient and people-oriented transportation system.
