The importance of secretaries in any formal organisation has been stressed. Making this assertion was Professor Kolawole Salako, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development), while delivering a lecture titled “Aiming for Excellence as Professional Secretaries in the University Environment”, during the 6th In-house Annual Workshop, organised by the University Secretarial Staff Association (USSA), in collaboration with the National Association of Professional Secretarial Staff of Nigeria (NAPSSON) of FUNAAB.
According to Professor Salako, who was the Guest Lecturer at the workshop, secretaries are not inferior in the scheme of things in any organisation, noting that a secretary was basically an office administrator with a broad scope of work and who occasionally acted in executive positions.
While advocating for better service delivery, Professor Salako said secretaries were expected to master and acquaint themselves with the language of any discipline with which they have to work with. For instance, a secretary in the Department of Mathematics should be familiar with Mathematical symbols, those in Biological or Agricultural Sciences should familiarise themselves with Botanical or species names; while those working in the Department of Works and Services should know a few things about procurement and store-keeping. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development) advised secretaries to see their deployments from one office to another as a way of making them more versatile in University administration. Professor Salako further advised that a secretary, who is on his/her way to attaining excellence should always understand his/her boss very well in terms of temperament, style of working and needs.
“You must be ready to work with anybody; the good, the beautiful, the handsome, the bad and the ugly, you cannot afford to be hostile to the boss or any other person in the office”, adding that there should be no personal preferences for the sake of the job and office, because secretaries should ever be prepared to learn to work for the system, rather than working merely to satisfy individuals.
To achieve the best, secretaries should have self-esteem and believe positively in themselves by exuding self-confidence. The University Don recommended regular training and re-training by attending lectures, seminars, workshops and conferences. He also called on the secretaries to be conscious of the fact that as stakeholders, they had something to contribute to the system in order to advance it. “Do not allow yourself to be redundant because it is at your own detriment”, he added. While admonishing the participants to be above board by being punctual, neat and an effective office organiser, accurate and flawless in typing, engage in effective communication, display courtesy, be confidential, show good human relations, honesty and high sense of dedication.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olusola Oyewole, equally re-affirmed that the roles of secretaries cannot be over-emphasised, as he likened them to both the life-wire and the heart-beat of an organisation. Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Adekojo Waheed, the Vice-Chancellor commended the executive of USSA for organising the workshop, which he said was in tandem with the mission and vision of FUNAAB at attaining a world-class status, urging them to continue to co-operate with their bosses and the University Management.
The Chairperson of the Association, Mrs. Camilla Fatunmbi, while welcoming all to the workshop, called on members to always develop the spirit of unity, responsibility, hard work, diligence and shun immoral acts in the course of discharging their duties, as she advised them to continue to acquire additional and relevant qualifications and uphold the Association’s professional ethics. She appreciated the University Management for its continued support and fora conducive environment for them to work, urging the University Management to ensure that the new career structure could be made operational for the next promotion exercise. Mrs. Fatunmbi also appealled to members of the Association to strive to attend conferences and workshops from time-to-time, in order to be current and ever relevant in their profession.
The Chairman of the occasion, Professor Bola Okuneye of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, College of Agricultural Management and Rural Development (COLAMRUD), observed that capacity building was a major factor in the development of a nation, the world at large and an impetus to improving organisational standards and productivity. “Show me your secretary and I will tell you your countenance. Show me your secretary and I will tell you your managerial ability. Show me your secretary and I will tell you your innate being. Show me you secretary and I will tell you of your effectiveness and efficiency. Show me your secretary and I will tell you of your kindness and attitude to life”, he noted. He, however, challenged the participants to have a full grasp of the issues being discussed during the workshop in order to develop themselves, assist their bosses, improve their capacities, as well as wellness on the job.
Goodwill messages were delivered at the occasion by the National President of USSA, Comrade Festus Ogbonna, represented by Mr. Kayode Osungbogbe, who stated that the training of secretaries was very crucial because they were ambassadors of their organisations. The National President of NAPSSON, Alhaji Ganiyu Buhari, represented by Mr. Olayode Oladejo, also lauded the FUNAAB Branch of the Association, as he described its members as vibrant, urging them to be better equipped with knowledge of modern technology and the Internet, so as to achieve excellence.
Highlights of the workshop included practical training on Information Communication Technology (ICT), anchored by Mr. Oluwatoyin Akinola of the Information Communication Technology Resource Centre (ICTREC) of the University, who was also a guest lecturer at the Workshop, while former members of the Association; Mr. Yahaya Sunmonu and Mr. Okanlawon Adekunle, were presented with gifts.
