NATIONAL POPULATION COMMISSION: ECHOES FROM ENUGU

A New Broom and a Hard Conversation…
As Mrs. Jane Frances Ugwu, New State Director of NPC Enugu, Holds An Interactive Session with Workers.

By Comrade Ikechukwu Okenyi.

The conference hall of the National Population Commission (NPC) was full on Wednesday morning, April 26 in compliance with the invitation for a meeting with the state director. Jane Frances Ugwu (Nee Eze), was recently deployed to head the state office of the National Population Commission, Enugu and resumed duty on Tuesday March, 24, 2026.

Seated in the hall in a circular form, Mrs. Ugwu was quietly observing the faces before her. She had spent her first week reviewing files, attendance records, and performance reports, visiting the various departments, and acclimatizing to the environment. After she met with the various heads of the departments, she called for a meeting of staff members working at the state office to have a one-on-one interactive session with the workers on the best way to move ahead in delivering on the mandates of the commission.

In her opening remarks, she said, “Good morning, colleagues, her voice calm but firm. “I did not call you here to intimidate anyone. I have called for this meeting because we need to have an honest Interactive conversation about how we shall succeed as a team. As you can see, I asked the Public Relations Officer, Comrade Ikechukwu Okenyi, to arrange the seats in a circular row so we can sit as a family and talk to ourselves looking at each other. No high table, we are all floor members because we are all here to discuss how best to play our parts in achieving the goals and mandates of the commission.”

Mrs. Ugwu emphasised the fact that the commission frowns at non-attendance at work, negligence of duty, and a lack of accountability. According to her, those LLS shall not be allowed to thrive unchecked.

She added, “I have an open door policy and I believe in democracy, that is why we are having this interactive session to air our views without fear of intimidation, before I speak further, I want to hear from every staff member on the way forward.”

As expected, there was silence at first. Then, every staff member was asked to speak and contribute to the discussion based on the seating arrangements. Every staff member made their contributions on the best way forward.

The new State Director listened without interruption, taking notes. All staff members present took their turn to talk freely.

She appreciated the contributions and said, “We have a duty to the Nigerian people. This commission was created for service; going forward, things will change. Attendance will be strictly monitored, and there will be consequences for negligence of duty. But more importantly, there will also be recognition for diligence and excellence.

I am not here to witch-hunt anyone. I am here to build a team that works. And that requires commitment from every single one of us. I want a shift in the culture in attendance to work and commitment to duties”.

By the end of the session, what started as a tense gathering had transformed into a call for an awakening in the staff members.

Mrs. Esther Eze gave a vote of thanks on behalf of the staff members to the state director for the initiative of the interaction session which allowed everybody to air their views on the way forward and prayed for such opportunities once in a while.
In attendance were the heads of the various departments: Mrs. Chinelo Ifedinko (ICT), Mrs Nonyelu Agbalibe (CRVS), Comrade Ikechukwu Okenyi (PAD), Cajethan Udeh (HRM), Mr. Ugwu Julius Ogbonna (HOT) and Mr. Charles Nnamene (Accounts) and all the staff members working at the state office.

As staff members filed out of the hall, conversations buzzed in low tones. Some were sceptical, others were hopeful. And indeed a new chapter had started in the National Population Commission Enugu.

Comrade Ikechukwu Okenyi, Anipr.
HOD Public Affairs Department,
Public Relations Officer (PRO).
National Population Commission, Enugu State.