By Anna Marie Valentine
The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MOPE) last week hosted a retreat for its auxiliary staff from the 13th to the 15th of December at the Sunset Beach Hotel, Kotu.
This retreat aimed at refreshing the work plan, monitoring and to evaluate past activities, as well as to build an effective auxiliary staff team for a successful plan into the next year. It is also intended to facilitate the building of strong bonds between members of staff and reinforce the spirit of teamwork.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, Mrs Mansata M. Darboe, highlighted the importance of the auxiliary staff as a means of team bonding and a needed incentive for them to keep up morale and produce positive results which will highlight the Ministry.
DPS Darboe added that the retreat is meant to reflect on the achievements of the past year, as well as to look forward to the New Year ahead. We have accomplished a lot of good things during the course of the past year and we will use this avenue to reflect on them, as well as to discuss and find solutions to any challenges that you might have had”.
The chief driver of The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, Mr Amadou Sillah, expressed great gratitude to the Ministry and the Senior Management for facilitating the retreat. He highlighted that they have been very fortunate to be able to be apart of a Ministry that highlights and gives priority to its auxiliary staff.
Mr Sillah in his speech emphasized, “this retreat and trainings that the Ministry organises for us is a very great thing, we never expected that we would be highlighted and taken care of like this. This retreat, I know, will enable us to continue to do great things in our work and to continue the great work that we have been doing’’.
The Ministry understands the importance of highlighting all it’s staff in what ever capacity and position that they hold. This retreat is one of many that will provide further incentive to its staff and this will boost their performances in what ever position that they hold.
The retreat brought together drivers, cleaners, messengers and groundskeepers from The Ministry and The Geological Department. Auxiliary staff are at times disregarded and left in the dust but they hold a lot of importance and provide positive support to the officers in their Ministries.