Health

Optometrists Board staff call on Tinubu to investigate Registrar/CEO, Dr Obinna Edwin Awiaka.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 30, 2024

The staff of the office of the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Registration Board of Nigeria, (ODORBN) a Parastatal under the Federal Ministry of health have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider beaming his search light in their office with a view to investigating the leadership style of their Registrar/CEO, Dr Obinna Edwin Awiaka.

The staff complained bitterly that since the assumption in office of the Registrar June 1st, 2023, the once bubbling and lively office has suddenly become a living hell for them.

According to some of the staff who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity for obvious reasons noted that the leadership style of the Registrar/CEO can only be compared to that of IdiAmin of the then Uganda.

They revealed that the first thing Dr Awiaka did immediately he resumed was to totally dismantle the existing organization organogram which was purely set up in line with the civil service rules, thereby deliberately making all the Directors, their deputies and assistants inactive. He was also said to have even gone ahead to abolish the management meeting were robust discussion about the organization were been churned out.

Regrettably, the staff noted that Dr Awiaka had boasted severally that he does not believe in the civil service rules which informed why he has absolute disregard for the structure he met on ground when he came in.

One of the staff said, “You cannot imagine that all the departments are now been headed by junior officers. Currently the ICT department is been headed by a staff with just a school certificate, while the Procurement department is been headed by a procurement assistant, whereas there are qualified officers hitherto handling these offices.

“Because of his alleged high-handedness and his tyrannically style of leadership, he has transfered all the Directors, their deputies and assistants under very flimsy reasons. It’s either you do his bidding or you are out. For example, the Director of Admin has been transfered to National Task Force unit for refusing to sign a document he was not aware of. Also, the head of Procurement was transferred to the national Task Force, procurement unit where he does work that belittle his position. It is even said that the so called National Task Force unit does not even exist in the structure of the Organization, it’s merely a creation of the Registrar and his Aide where their perceived enemies are transfered to. Some of the Directors have been transfered out of the headquarters for no particular reason,”

One other staff accused Dr Awiaka of flooding the organization with so many aides who have virtually taken over the running of the office and have even become larger than life. “The office is littered with his Aides of different kinds. He has Special technical Adviser, Special Adviser, Personal Assistant, Technical Adviser, Special Adviser on Inter Governmental Affairs, and several others. And for you to remain relevant in the office you must have to be in the good books of these aides,” He lamented.

The staff also accused the Registrar of running the organization like his private office as he hardly comes to the office, virtually runing the office from the diaspora, “Dr Awaka hardly comes to the office, he comes maybe once in two weeks. Sometimes we don’t see him for a whole month. We can count how many times we have seen him in the office this year. These Aides help him to run the office.

These staff therefore call on the Nigeria President to come to their aid stressing that if nothing is done, and done very fast, the organization is definitely heading for disaster. The staff revealed that the Registrar has the boldness to do whatever he likes because he has boasted severally that he has the backing of some top officials of the Federal Ministry of health. The main reason the Ministry has not bothered to beam their searchlight on the organization despite the outcry of the staff. “He has always boasted to us that nobody can sack him, that he is in a very good relationship with those in the supervising Ministry” one of the staff stated.

Meanwhile, attempt to hear from the Registrar/CEO for his own side of the story proves abortive as he did not pick the several calls put across to him.

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Health

GBV: Foundation builds capacity of community members to check menace

Published

1 month ago

April 6, 2024

The Gleamer

The Tabitha Cumi Foundation (TCF), a non-governmental organisation, has built the capacity of no fewer than 35 members of various communities in Abuja and Nasarawa State to address Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the capacity building is part of the Flagship Actions on Girls’ Safety (FLAGS), a GBV prevention and response project.

The Executive Director, TCF, Mrs Tayo Erinle, on Thursday said that the foundation works basically to support survivors.

Erinle, who was represented by the Programme Manager, Mrs Nendirmwa Ohah, explained that the programme which is in the last phase, started in 2021.

According to her, the capacity building is to ensure sustainability of the programme at the community level.

“We were able to select members of the Community Action Committee (CAC) from various communities. We were able to build their capacity during the sensitisation and implementation of the programme.

“The capacity we are building today is a kind of refresher course to remind them of their roles as members of CAC, in addressing and checking GBV in their communities.

“We got massive support from them because they were able to follow up incidences of GBV in their communities. They have created impact in addressing the issue of GBV in the communities..

“Their capacity and knowledge have been built and it is something important. Without knowledge, you will not be able to support anyone. So the knowledge and capacity is a lasting solution to GBV prevention.

“We expect the members of CAC to serve as watchdogs in the communities that we are working in, so that every incidence of GBV is reported to us or other service providers.

“This is because we have linked them up to NAPTIP, Police and Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA), where they can get free legal services and justice and other relevant agencies,” Erinle said.

Erinle said that the CAC members could now support victims and survivors of GBV, adding that the foundation will continue to assist them and campaign against the menace.

Meanwhile, one of the CAC members from Mpape Community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs Aisha Saidu, appreciated the foundation for the initiative.

“I am happy because I have gained more knowledge through this programme, especially today’s capacity building; I was able to learn a lot of things that hitherto, I did not know.

“In my community, we have the issue of early marriage. I will like the government to please come to our rescue. Also, organisations should sensitise religious leaders in our community to enable them speak against GBV,” Saidu said.

Another member of CAC from Nyanya Community in FCT, Mr Danladi Iya, said the programme had helped a lot of youths in his community not to engage in GBV and other social vices.

“From what I have learnt today, I will go back to my community and inculcate it on members of my community so that the impact, with support of TCF, will reverberate throughout the entire community.”

NAN reports that during the capacity building, the CAC members were treated to topics like, ‘Roles of CAC Members in Fight Against GBV’, ‘Understanding GBV and How it Affects Girls and Women’.

Other topics are: ‘Ways to Provide Support and Resources for Survivors of GBV and GBV Referral Pathways and Dissemination of TCF toll-free line among others.

NAN

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