Posted by By Clifford Amuzuo on
The Federal Government, in continuation of its ongoing reforms agenda has formally effected a merger between two parastatals, namely the Centre for Management Develoment (CMD) and National Council for Economic Management and Administration (NCEMA).
The Federal Government, in continuation of its ongoing reforms agenda has formally effected a merger between two parastatals, namely the Centre for Management Develoment (CMD) and National Council for Economic Management and Administration (NCEMA).
Both institutions, until their merger, were separate parastatals under the National Planning Commission, and following the development government has created a new body, National Council for Economic and Management Development (NACEMDEV) which is a fusion of the merging institutions.
According to the Chief Economic Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Professor Ode Ojowu who made the disclosure in Lagos, government has expended the sum of N.5 billion on the development of infrastructure at the old CMD premises which has been transformed to now accommodate the new NACEMDEV.
Professor Ojowu also disclosed that following the merger about 50 staff of NCEMA and 116 staff of CMD are marked to be retrenched in the exercise while the remaining staff of NCEMA are to move from their Ibadan base to join the newly formed NACEMDEV in Lagos.
The Economic Adviser who said he was on a mission in Lagos to access the state of preparedness for staff movement also disclosed that with the movement of NCEMA to Lagos, facilities left behind in Ibadan would be taken over and occupied by NISER (Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research).
He explained that NCEMA had a 30 year lease of the current facility in Ibadan out of which it has spent 10 years, adding that Federal Government had entered into an agreement with Government of Oyo State on moves for the facility to be released to the management of NISER.
Ojowu who also is chairman of National Planning Commision explained that the merger of the institutions had been approved by the Federal Executive Council but added that there had been delays in the staff movement as a result of delays in fund procurement and that presently funds have now been made available by the federal budget office to implement the move.
"We have come here to assess the state of preparedness for the movement of staff from Ibadan to Lagos. We do not have all the resources to effect this, but I have agreed with the DG and staff of NCEMA and there could be a smooth movement of staff".
He further explained that the initial purpose for the establishment of CMD and NCEMA during period of indigenisation was to train private and public sector managers respectively, adding that the purpose of the merger was principally to bring under one roof private and public sector training and thereby enhance upon public and private sector partnership.
Ojowu, addressing management and staff of former CMD declared , " I want to principally talk to management and staff of the institution on the issue of how to manage change. It is my understanding and believe that the complementarity between research and training will be optimised in the merger and you will be in a position to collectively use the findings of research to continue to reshape and update your training, and therefore constantly put you on the cutting edge of the training requirement of this country and beyond".