The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib, has disclosed at the beginning of the COVID-19 vaccination, the National Assembly underrated the capacity of the agency to effectively carry out the exercise.
Shuaib in his remarks at the 2021 Staff Productivity Award and Send Forth Ceremony in Abuja said when COVID-19 hit and the vaccination programme started, the strongest point was when the agency was invited to the National Assembly and a number of legislators told him that the NPHCDA does not have the capacity to deliver COVID-19 vaccination.
“Despite all of the examples that I gave about how well we worked together to eradicate wild poliovirus, they said no, this one is different,” he said.
Shuaib while praising the members of staff of the agency said: “Do I need to go back to the National Assembly to show them the amazing things that you guys have done?
“Nobody gave us a chance to deliver on COVID-19. Nobody gave us a chance to be the best COVID-19 programme all across Africa.
“I know that our number might not be showing that we are doing so well, but it is not how well you start but how well you finished and we will finish and will be the best programme in the whole of Africa.”
Shuaib further promised better remuneration and welfare package for the staff of the agency as he said what they are enjoying in 2022 is going to be insignificant compared to what you will earn in 2023.
“We will work and talk, not because I can but because you deserve it and the same time because this is Nigeria and we know that there’s a time and a place for everything.
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“The chairman of the union talked about some of the welfare packages that we are trying to bring on board, but of all of these packages, my work at NPHCDA no matter what we achieved, will not be done until you get the right salary for the kind of amazing work that you do.
“I promise you that will be the greatest legacy for the incredible work that you do at NPHCDA. There’s no agency that comes even close to the work that you guys are doing.
“I’ve heard it from many ministers, permanent secretaries, ordinary Nigerians that we do not work like a government agency, we work like we are the private sector because every time we do something, we do it better than any government agency and it is not just because the people at the management level, it is because of ordinary staff like you. People like you go to the field and toil night and day.
“Anytime that NPHCDA has a presentation, I don’t worry because at the end of the day, our presentations come out top.
“Sometimes, it might be tough and sometimes it may appear as if you are toiling in vain. Sometimes you will look at your bank account and you will see that the money that is left can hardly pay for all the things that you need to do.
“But it is in a singular moment like this that makes it worthwhile and as long as you continue to work together and focus on delivery, I’m sure that one day, working with the union you will find that before the end of this year, when you get alert, on your phone you will be asking what is this.
“We are the generation of Nigerians that will make the difference and making that difference starts with you and starts with compensating you for the hard work that you have been putting across the years.
“Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, our routine immunization still continued to rise from 33 percent to 71 percent and 63 percent and we will keep going.”
and then