Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Tuesday, inaugurated the State’s Human Capital Development (HCD) Core technical working committee, with a charge on them to work together as a team, transfer knowledge to the people coming behind them in order to improve human capacity and move the state forward.
The governor inaugurated the committee at a One-Day Enugu State Human Capital Development Stakeholders Engagement and On-boarding session of the State HCD Technical Committee held at Government House, Enugu.
Inaugurating the committee, Ugwuanyi, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, urged the members to be involved in what was in their ministries and advise government on how to allocate its resources.
“You should watch each other’s back, work as a team and pledge commitment,” he advised.
The governor said that Human Capital Development was a key component of the eight-point development agenda of his administration.
“The government decided from the inception of the NEC HOD program in 2018 to key fully into it, not only as a means of furthering it’s own HCD agenda but also as a way of enduring that the benefits of this program Cascade down to our people at the grassroots.
”Enugu State has established a state HCD council with Her Excellency, the Deputy Governor as Chairman and appointed a state HCD focal person who also doubles as the secretary to the HCD council. Other members of the council are drawn from State House of Assembly, the state executive council, the state ALGON chapter and other key stakeholders in human capital development.
“The state HCD is active and meets regularly with occasional consultations with experts and other partners as the need arises.
“Our plan is to continue with this process of engagement with all the key stakeholders and partners with view of putting the HCD agenda in the front burners of the state’s comprehensive growth trajectory.
“The state action plan has been developed using the parameters defined by the National Committee Working Group. The road maps of this Action plan are being regularly updated as we progress,” he stated.
Governor Ugwianyi said that further to the implemention to the action plan, Members of the State Technical Committee drawn from pragmatic Ministries of Education, Health and Labour were selected and trained.
“An HCD monitoring and evaluation team has been set-up by the state council as part of the HCD activity tracking mechanism. It is hoped that this team will play a key role in ensuring that the implementation processes proceed as planned and desired,” he said
Ugwuanyi assured that the state government will play a very active role in the present inorder to achieve this Noble goal national crusade to lift Nigeria high in the global human capital development index.
“Accordingly, our state council will work very closely with you to ensure that the HCD vision , key priorities and targets are achieved in our state as soon as possible.
”A sustainable rise in our human capital development ranking is the desire of all of us. Therefore, our council will work hard to mobilize everyone,” he said.
Speaking, the consultant, South-East Zonal Human Capital Development and former Commissioner for Education, Anambra State, Prof. Kate Omenugha said the inauguration was aimed at understanding the need to improve human capacity through the core ministries in Enugu State.
She said: “The problem we are having is that we have not really engaged ourselves on how to build the capacity of our people.
“I am impressed looking at the calibre of people gathered here to think and brainstorm on how we can invest in our people.
“The Federal Government understood the need to invest in people to create healthy nation and people who are productive.
“So we are doing two things here today, engaging other stakeholders to be on same page on HCD programme and inauguration of Enugu HCD Technical Committee who are the core drivers of HCD in Enugu from the line ministries.
“This include the directors, permanent Secretaries and those in economic planning,” Omenugha said.
She hinted that the state had done a lot on HCD but faced with the challenges of putting them together.
Omenugha urged members of the committee to work as a team, imbibe the spirit of trust and hardwork to move the state to the next level.
Earlier, the state focal person and managing director/ Chief Executive Officer, of the Enugu State Investment Development Authority, Dr.Sam Ogbu Nwobodo said that, Enugu State council had line ministries, health, education, budget and planning, gender affairs, labour and productivity, youths and sports, poverty reduction, Human capital Development which constituted the working Committee.
He stressed the need for team work, look at each other’s works, offer advice, carry everyone along. “Feel free, watch your back, watch each other’s back”…. Have an accurate data and advise government on how to allocate resources,” Ogbu said
In her brief presentation, Lucy Ewu, spoke on the importance of team work and the stages of team development. This included the forming stage (introduction), the summit stage, where ideas are brought, She explained that the team leader should resolve conflicts at the summit stage. The third stage is the forming stage. The team leader is expected to have a follow,-up. There is a performing stage. Here goals and roles are now specified. It is done as a team. People should understand their roles and other people’s roles. The last stage is an adjourning stage.
”When we work as a team, we will achieve our goals.”
On his part, Dan Onyeshi assured that the planning division of his ministry will work with the council and assist with required data needed to move Enugu State forward.
Participants at the summit included the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev (Dr) Callistus Onaga, who was represented by Rev. Fr. Benjamin Ezeh, the chairman of Enugu State traditional council, Igwe Ambassador Lawrence Agubuzo, the Anglican Bishop of Nike diocese, Most Rev Dr. Onyia, represented, representatives of Civil Society Organisations, traders and famers among others.
