The Managing Director, Cross River Water Board Ltd., Mr Victor Effiom, has advised newly re-instated staff members of the board to gear up for new challenges confronting the establishment.
Effiom who gave the advice on Tuesday in Calabar while addressing the re-absorbed workers, said that the water board had been rebranded from what it used to be.
NAN reports that the re-absorbed workers were laid off for various reasons, including redundancy and lack of due process in their employment by the organisation’s past management.
“The days of honeymoon in the State Water Board are over. The current board is now grappling with the challenges of paying up a backlog of indebtedness to both international development partners and local investors.
“The backlog of indebtedness includes electricity and paying huge wage bills,” the managing director said.
He said that there was several court cases related to indebtedness against the water board.
“I inherited a backlog of debt. As we speak, the water board is indebted to the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
“We have to borrow to be able to pay for recurrent expenditures, so it is necessary that the management and staff members are serious with their work,” Effiom said.
According to him, any worker that cannot cope with the demands for hard work and discipline will face disciplinary action.
He, however, assured the workers of management’s preparedness to reward workers who demonstrate commitment to assigned responsibilities.
Effiom directed that the re-absorbed workers be grouped into teams of four, to embark on intensive house-to-house revenue drive. (NAN)
