ESTABLISHED on May 25, 1972, the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) recently celebrated its 40th anniversary reiterating its commitment to match its capacity training programmes with the much needed knowledge and skills to produce skilled manpower for the work place.Also, the incessant security challenges, unemployment and their attendant consequences have been highlighted as indications of the need to redefine leadership as a collective responsibility rather than the responsibility of an individual or group of persons.Speaking at the closing ceremony of the seven regular courses of the college held at the college premises in Badagry, the Director General, Mr. Ajibade Peters, who was represented by the Director of Studies/Head of Programmes, Mrs Cecilia Gaya described the event as both historic and coincidental.According to him, the college, which was established in May 1972 with a mission to be a foremost Management Development Institute (MDI), has trained legions of individuals in both public and private sectors at higher and lower cadres.With a total of 51 participants graduating from the General Management course, Advance Public Enterprises Management, Conflict Management and Resolution, Facilities Maintenance Management and Financial Management the Director-General was optimistic that the celebration of the college 40th anniversary marks its advancement to a higher phase and commitment to take its rightful place as the best among MDIs in Africa.He said, 'this anniversary has given us joy, but above all, it has given us a challenge to rededicate ourselves to developing personnel in the civil service to be leaders in their responsibilities and also to be a part of the engine for the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan's administration.'Peters charged the participants to move away from their comfort zones reminding them that a greater responsibility now rest on their shoulders to provide the much needed leadership in their homes, gatherings, office, places of worship and other avenues.'Leadership transcend the pedestal of politics, we must carry on in the belief that someday in the fullness of times, we shall be held accountable for our deeds,' he added.He further urged the participants to consolidate on the two-week training in their various duty posts 'the civil service is in constant need of officers, who can match adequate knowledge and skills with dedication and commitment to the service. Your training in ASCON is meant to sharpen your skills and knowledge and where necessary your attitude to enable you deal with the day-to-day challenges that you will meet in your work environment. The challenges, I must say, seem to be increasing in Nigeria.'Peters, who warned the participants to exercise caution in attempting to change existing situations upon assumption of duty in their places of work also advise them to hurry slowly as the training they had just acquired might have ignited in them a fire of eagerness to want to effect change immediately in their various work places.'I am aware of a problem known as re-entry problem that await you in your various work places. In your desire to change things for the better, you need to be humble, realistic and diplomatic otherwise, you may end up in conflict with your superiors and other colleagues who may be too used to a particular way of doing things. As the saying goes, 'slow and steady wins the race,' he said.
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