DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPLIES 1. INTRODUCTION
The Department as implied in its name, is made up of two main divisions, namely, Administration and Supply Divisions. While Administration Division is charged with the responsibility of coordinating the establishment and human resource activities of the Council, as well as providing the administrative services, the Supply Division has responsibility for keeping the financial books of TRC, by ensuring effective control and judicious use of the Council's resources. The Department is headed by a Director, and each of the Divisions by an Assistant Director. The report covers the activities, accomplishments and constraints experienced by the two divisions in the year 2003. Details of the activities are highlighted below. 2. ADMINISTRATION DIVISION The Admin Division is made up of four (4) sections but due to staffing constraint, one of the sections is temiorarily subsumed under another section until the situation improves. The three (3) sections are: (i) EstablishmenUCouncil Secretariat (ii) Staff Welfare (iii) General Services While the Admin Division is headed by an Assistant Director, the Establishment Section is headed by a Chief Administrative Officer; and an Assistant Chief Administrative Officer heads the Staff Welfare Section. The General Services section which handles the main administrative services complement of the Department, with responsibility for maintenance of Council property, procurement of equipment and materials, is headed by a technical personnel with building and engineering background, with the rank of an Assistant Chief Building Officer. Each of these sections is further sub-divided into Units, with specific specialisation and if' schedules assigned to the Unit heads and supporting staff . 2.1 E STABLISHMENT SECTION The Establishment section is responsible for the human resource component of the Department. It is responsible for such matters as appointments, promotions, discipline and grievances, leave, staff records, transfer of service, secondment, merger ?,f service, staff training and development, provision of secretarial services for the Governing Council and its Committees, and the Management Committee, etc. To accomplish the goals, the section is divided into 3 units as follows: Staff Training & Development and Council Secretariat Appointments, Promotions Discipline and grievances Registry (Staff Records) and Leave matters. The section also has a staff strength of eight (8) staff members headed by a Chief Administrative Officer. 2.2 HIGHLIGHTS OF ACTIVITIES OF THE ESTABLISHMENT SECTION FROM JANUARY DECEMBER,2003 2.2.1 Staff Training Development & Council Secretariat . Management is committed to the training and development of all its employees for the purpose of efficient and effective job performance and also the career development of the employees. Consequently, during the reporting period seminars and workshops were organised as follows: On the 28th January 2003, a one-day workshop was organised for staff on GL 01-03 to educate them on work ethics, prevailing office practices, record keeping and safety rules, for drivers. The workshop was organised in conjunction with the Centre for Management Development Abuja (CMD) and the Federal Road Safety Corps. A four-day in-house induction programme was organised on the 8th - 11 th April 2003 in which all departments of the Council were invited to present papers highlighting their various functions, responsibilities and interdepartmental relationships. The purpose was to induct staff of the responsibilities of each department and to ensure effective communication and harmony among departments. The programme was found to be highly useful and a follow up workshop was organised for all State Coordinators, on the 4th 6th May 2003. The content ofthe workshop forthe State Coordinators was largely based on Financial Reporting and ~dministrative procedures. The Coordinators were later provided with formats for presenting Financial Reports especially as regards sale of registration forms and handbooks." This workshop was also found to be highly beneficial. Another four-day workshop was also organised for Head Office staff on GL 07-14 on the 4th 6th August 2003. The workshop was organised in conjunction with the Manpower Development Unit ofthe Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, which also invited some resource persons from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. In all, 6 resource persons presented papers on various topics including but not limited to the following: (i) The Historical Background of the Public Service (ii) Government Machinery (iii) Public Service Rules (iv) Administrative procedures in the Public Service (v) Sources of Information in the Civil Service (vi) Report Writing (vii) The Format, Content and Style of Minutes of meeting (viii) File notes and endorsements (ix) Career prospects in the Public Service (x) Maintenance and care of Government Properties QUESTIONNAIRE At the end of the programme, questionnaires were distributed to all participants for completion to assess the benefits and constraints ofthe programme. COMMUNIQUE At the end of the workshop, a communique was also issued by the participants. Highlights of the communique included the following: Benefits Derived Participants were able to have a better understanding ofthe workings, of the Public Service Rules which were hitherto not fully comprehended especially in the areas of staff discipline, work ethics, channel of communication, career prospects, filing system financial regulations, etc. Problems The Communique identified the underlisted problems which it considered inimical to the smooth administration and progress of the Council (a) Poor handling offiles (b) Lack of confidentiality of staff records @ Indiscipline among staff (d) Low staff motivation (e) Absence of approved operational guidelines as regards communication channels. RECOMMENDATION Part of the resolution proposed in the Communique to enhance Council performance include: Need for staff to go on regular refresher course and training programmes in various fields of specialization Cultivate mutual respect through social interaction with colleagues, superiors and subordinates alike. Effective cooperation among the rank and files of staff. Need for management to encourage interaction and networking between TRC and sister organisations so as to gain insights from and experiences in all areas relevant to the Council for the purpose of enhancing its performance. All relevant issues contained in the communique were noted and addressed by Management. Both participants and Management benefited immensely from the programme. Sequel to the benefits derived from the programme, a proposal was forwarded to Management to approve a similar workshop for all the State Coordinators. 2.2.2 APPOINTMENTS, PROMOTIONS AND DISCIPLINE UNIT Council Secretariat The unit provided secretarial services for the Governing Council, Council Committees, Management Committee and the Administration and Supply department, meetings held during th~ period under review. These include:
Applications for Employment A total of three hundred and twenty-one (321) applications were received during the year. Of this number, eighty nine (89) applicants were shortlisted for interview out of which fifty-one (51) were found suitable and subsequently offered appointments. Thirty-six (36) of the successful candidates were senior staff while fifteen (15) were junior staff. Confirmation of Appointment Twenty-six (26) staff appointments were confirmed. Sixteen (16) were senior staff while ten (10) were juniorstaff. Promotions Five senior staff who had relevar.~ qualifications and had fulfilled the Public Service requirements for promotion were promoted by the Council Committee on Appointments and Promotions. Two other staff were promoted in acting capacity. The Governing Council at its. meeting in December, 2003 ratified the appointments with effect from 151 January, 2004. Also, Management approved the promotions of eight (8) qualified junior staff who were presented by the Administrative Division on the recommendation of their respective Department. External and Internal Postings Thirty four (34) staff were posted to various states while nine (9) were internally re-deployed at the head office. The postings/deployments were effected to enhance the performan...\:! of the Council in the states and in the headquarters. Hitherto some states and departments in the head quarters were experiencing shortage of personnel to successfully carry out their duties. Staff Discipline During the period under review disciplinary measures were carried out for various offences committed by staff as follows:
The offences ranged from late-coming to office to absenteeism. Attrition The appointments of two junior staff were terminated for services no longer required while one staff resigned his appointment with the Council on his own accord. . Attendance Since the introduction of Attendance Register, staff attendance to duty has significantly improved. Cases of absenteeism were nil, while lateness to work was minimized. This development is not unconnected with Management's resolve to stamp out cases of indiscipline and laxity to work as highlighted in the communique of the workshop organised for staff on GL 07 -14 on 4th - 6th August, 2003 earlier indicated in this report. 2.2.3 REGISTRY (STAFF RECORDS) & LEAVE MATTERS UNIT Documentation Out ofthe 51 candidates offered appointment this year, 44 reported for duty while 8 were still being expected. File (open and secrets) were opened for the 44 new staff who had since completed documentation. Update of Staff Records The staff records were updated. Files without relevant documents were identified and the affected staff were formally contacted to submit the required documents. Out of 74 affected staff 27 complied. Efforts are being made to ensure that all relevant documents were submitted for proper record keeping. ID Cards The Council provided/replaced I D Cards for 127 staff who had either lost the previous ones issued to them or were on fresh appointment. A new list to be issued was compiled and would be forwarded for Management approval when all new staff would have assumed duty. The purpose was to avoid piece-meal printing ofthe cards. Nominal Roll The staff strength ofthe Council as at the time ofthis report stood at 151. The composition is as follows:
Total 151 Leave Matters During the 2003 leave year, approval was granted to staff as follows:
More requests for leave are being processed. CONSTRAINTS (i) Confidentiality of Documents/Recommendation The issue of confidentiality of document was yet to be completely addressed due to the prevailing circumstances, which involved lack of office space and basic office equipments such as photocopier, computer, file cabinets, etc. for the exclusive use of the Administration DfVision. The duties of the Establishment section which include appointments, promotions, discipline, etc involve handling of confidential matters and records. Without a photocopier and computer of its own the task of maintaining confidentiality of records of staff would be compounded as officers are compelled to make use of the general copier or computer at all times. This exposes the documents to unauthorised staff. It is therefore recommended as follows: (ii) That an exclusive office space for the Registry be provided and manned strictly by staff of the Reg istry. That the office should be provided with its own photocopier and a computer. That staff of the Registry should be further trained to handle confidential documents. In this regard, a one-week training course on Record Management workshop by CMD and a five-day course on micro computing and statistical analysis specifically on MS Word, and MS Excel also by CMD Management 2.3 WELFARE SECTION 2.3.1 Transport The Council has a total of 12.vehicles. During the period under review, 3 of the vehicles were involved in separate accidents, which resulted in their repairs to put them back in use. In the later part of the year, officials of the Federal Ministry of Works visited theCouncil to inspect all its vehicles, following Federal Government decision to monetise some fringe benefits enjoyed by public servants. Two (2) Motorcycles which were earlier donated to the Council by the Universal Basic Education Programme have been registered. They are now road worthy and ready to be put to use: The Motorcycles would be allocated to the Service Departments early next year to boost the mail delivery system of the Council. 2.3.2 Staff Bus The Bus has continued to transport staff to and from office on the usual token fare paid by staff for the fuelling of the vehicle. This is deducted from their monthly salaries. 2.3.3 Drivers The Council had 10 drivers at the beginning of the year. Of this number, five (5) were involved in separate motor accidents out of which 2 were surcharged having been found at fault. Two (2) were warned and two (2) others had their appointments terminated either for misconduct and driving with undue care leading to serious damage to Couricil property. 2.3.4 Health Matters In keeping with the desire to enhance the welfare of its staff, the Council during this period reimbursed over 25 staff medical bills estimated at over N300,OOO.OO. Nine staff were hospitalised during this period with two having surgical operation. Council's prompt response to welfare matters boosted staff morale in the performance of their duties. While noting that Management is operating under tight budget, the section wishes to commend Management in according staff welfare one of its priorities. 2.3.5 Death/Bereavement Miss Matagi Shalangwa, a staff of the department passed away after a protracted illness while 8 other staff members were bereaved. In each case, Council sent delegation to commiserate with the staff members or their families/relations and in addition, released some token amount of money to the family of the late staff and the other bereaved staff as welfare package. May the gentle souls of the departed rest in peace, Amen. 2.3.6 Staff Pension Scheme After fulfilling the requirements for scheduling of the Council, the office of the Head of Service of the Federation conveyed to th~ Council approval for the establishment of a Staff Pension and Gratuity Scheme. Following the establishment of the scheme, the office of the Head of Service of the Federation inaugurated the Board of Trustees of the scheme on 21st November 2003. Staff who had initially entertained fear of transferring their services to the Council because of its non-scheduling status are now relieved and seeking transfer of their service to the Council with ease. 2.3.7 Logistic Support The unit provided logistic support and refreshment for the underlisted meetings during the year:
2.4 GENERAL SERVICES SECTION What is known today as General Services Section was established about a year ago by Management as part of its effort to decentralise administrative functions. The section also came into being t~ provide certain social services to staff as well as to ensure management of Council properties in liaison with other units ofthe Council. In a nutshell, the General Service Section is charged with the following responsibilities:
Registration of Contractors Servicing of all Council's plants and machine e.g. Generating Set and Photocopiers, etc. The unit received impetus with the appointment of an Assistant Chief Building Officer who had been giving formal advice and implementing Council decisions regarding Construction, supervision and maintenance of its property at the headquarters and at the state offices. The year 2003 has been full of events for the General Services Section. The section was able to carry out a number of activities ranging from purchases, renovations to repairs of Council properties that had been in bad shape. Some of these include: Repairs and Maintenance of Equipment With the support of Management, the section was able to ensure up-to-date servicing of Council's plants and equipment. The photocopiers, generating set, lawn mower, machine, electronic equipment and accessories, to mention a few were replenished from time to time to keep ttle activities of the Council going unfettered. Management realised that any interruption of services rendered her by the utility boards would have adverse effects on its performance. Thus, to avoid experiences occasioned by interrupted services, Management, in spite of its financial crunch, ensured prompt settlement of the utility bills. This has kept the utility institutions at bay from embarrassing the Council. To further ensure regular power supply in the event of general black out, Management rehabilitated its generating'plant and made provision for regular fuelling ofthe plant. Purchase of Tools The section took d~livery of tools acquired for masons, technicians and other cadres of staff in the section. The procurement of the working tools has enhanced the performance of the- staff and gone further to curtail Council's expenditure on hiring staff to provide services which would have been done by staff ofthe section if they had the working tools. Purchase of Residential and Office Furniture During the year under review, Management procured office and residential furniture for staff. The residential furniture were acquired to furnish the 4 Nos. 3-bedroom flats at the Federal Housing Authority Estate, Gwarinpa which the Council acquired and allocated to some of its deserving staff. The office furniture on the other hand were distributed to some TRC state offices. Meanwhile, efforts are being made by the Council to furnish the newly completed office annex at the head office to ease the current office accommodation problem being experienced by all the departments at the headquarters. When furnished, office accommodation problem being faced by the Council since its take off in June 2000 will be greatly alleviated. Maintenal1ce of Council Property The section on two occasions in conjunction with the stores unit undertook inspection of Council properties to take inventory df the office and household furniture for the purpose of majntaining an up-to-date .record. The Section also carried out assessment visits to TRC quarters and effected repairs/renovations on those properties that had reported problems. During the period under review. Council expended substantial amount of money on renovation/rehabilitation of some of its state offices and residential accommodation. Environmental Sanitation A healthy environment promotes a good working situation. To achieve this, Council provided the necessary working tools to keep the Secretariat premis~s clean and tidy to ensure that the environment is devoid of dangerous reptiles and insects that can constitute health hazards. The section embarked on an aesthetic drive, by planting new flowers, trimming the over-grown ones on regular basis in order to make the premises look attractive and beautiful at all times. 3.0 SUPPLY DIVISION Supply Division like Administration Division is comprised of three (3) sections and eight (8) operational units where the main activities of the division are carried out: The Sections include:
The Units on the other hand include the Cash Office, Purchases and Supplies'Unit; Payroll, the Stores, Expenditure Control and Final Accounts, Budgetary Control and Loans and Advances Unit, and investment Unit. The Division is headed by an Assistant Director, who is a chartered Accountant and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), and ably assisted by a Principal Accountant and Accountant I both of whom are professionals and certified Accountants. The Division during the year under review contributed immensely to the accomplishment of the Council's key goals. This, it did by: putting in place measures for the effective mobilization and generation of revenue for the Council. Developing instruments for coUation, recording and reporting. fmancial transactions. Coordinating the activities of the designated collation banks with which Council has sarvice relationship for collection ar.d remi~ance of proceeds from sale of its registration forms and handbooks. Evolving strategies for improved earnings, alternative fund generation avenues and investment portfolio to enhance Council's financial base. Ensuring compliance with extant financial regulations, Polices and accounting principles. Ensuring strict adherence to Council's laid down internal control measures; and Keeping of proper books of accounts and records which has received commendation for the ease with whict. oversight agencies are able to check council books. Details of the activities of the Division which bother on financial management and coordination of the Council's resources are highlighted hereunder: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUND RELEASES TO THE COUNCIL AS AT 30-1203: ISSUES AND PROBLEMS Personnel Cost The Federal Government Monthly releases in respect of the Council's Personnel cost is N2,102,390.00 whereas the total monthly staff emolument (both gross/or net) ,exceeds the actual release thereby resulting to shortfalls in Personnel cost. In order to alleviate the problems associated'with delays in payment of staff salaries, the Management augmented the monthly staff salary payment (Net) from funds borrowed from Teachers Funds. As at 31 st December, 2003, the total amount so far borrowed towards the settlement of Staff Net Salary stood at N6,068,602.61 (Six Million, sixty-eight thousand, Six Hundred and tw.o naira, Sixty-one Kobo). Overhead Cost The total Overhead cost released by the Federal Government to the Council as at 31st December, 2003 stood at N3,785, 133.31. The Overhead Costs for ~e months of November, 2003 and December, 2003 are still outstanding. It is observed that the monthly overhead cost releases to the Council is grossly inadequate to meet the Council's monthly overhead requirements. 3.4 Capital Fund The Council did not receive any capital funds in respect of year 2003 Capital Appropriation. In compliance to a call letter from the Federal Ministry of Education, the Council submitted its year 2003 Approved Capital Allocation Utilization Pla'n as appropriate but the approved allocation for which an AlE was released was not cash backed as at 31st December, 2003. 3.5 Year2002AuditedAccounts The External. Audit Firm Messrs Ernest ,. Ikeh and Company, Chartered Accountants which was re-appointed to carry out the year 2002 Annual Audit exercise for the Council. concluded the assignment. The Firm submitted relevant copies of both the Audited Accounts and the Domestic Report to Management for necessary action. 3.6 Accounting/Financial Related Inspectora Visit The Council played host to some Accounting/Financial related Inspectors from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and that of the Auditor-General of the Federation at various occasions during the year. The purpose of the visits included routine inspection of .the accounting books and records, Verification of Capital Projects and value for Money Audit and to conduct periodic che~s in' Pursuance of Section 85 Sub-Section 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 among others Some ImportantAccounting/FinanclalRe/ated Reports! Submissions Sent Out During The Year. They include: a) Year 2003 Supplementary budget Monetisation of Fringe benefits in the Federal Public Service; .b) Submission of appropriate data to the implementation Committee on the Monetisation of Fringe Benefits in the Federal Government Parastatals; c) Year 2004 Recurrent and Capital Proposals; d) Year 2003 Approved Capital Budget Allocation Utilization Plan submitted to Federal Ministry of Education; e) Year 2003 2005 Capital Rolling Plan. 3.8 SUPPLY STAFF STRENGTH The total number of Accounting/Supply Staff in the Supply division rose from ten (10) as at 1st January, 2003 to twelve (12) as at 30-11-2003. The figure is without prejudice to Mr. Usman S. A. who was transferred to Katsina State as Clerical Officer and Late Miss Matagi Shallangwa who passed away during the year. For more information, see the table below: 3.9 Supply Division Staff Strength
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