TechDeck I Impact Of Computing On Routine Office Works

IMPACT OF COMPUTING ON ROUTINE OFFICE WORKS

          

Computing has presently proven to be the best way a job could aptly be done in the office or any formal setting anywhere across the global community. It suffices to assert that any establishment that’s yet to appreciate the essence of the said technology is still lagging behind.

          

Computing is simply the activity of using a computer and writing programs for it. It can further be described as any goal-oriented activity that requires as well as benefits from a mathematical sequence known as algorithm, through the use of systems (computers), among other devices alike. The major fields that involve computing include: Computer science, System engineering, Software engineering, and Information technology.   

          

Information Technology (IT), or computing generally, has become a veritable and integral part of every business plan coupled with day-to-day office works. From multi-national firms who maintain mainframe systems and databases, to small establishments that own a single computer, IT obviously plays a key role.

           

The impact of computing on everyday activity in the office is so vast. Adequate use of computing can enable any firm, regardless of size or status, to handle its human resources effectively. A sound computing would enable the firm to boast of viable and reliable database of the overall staff alongside their designations.

           

It would also help the company to update the database in terms of death rate, employment, transfer, maternity leave, or what have you. By so doing, the establishment would invariably realize the worth of its workforce towards boosting efficiency and job control. The Nigeria’s human resources, for example, can only be aptly handled via computing.

          

Similarly, with a proper use of computing, employment process would be carried out expressly by the human resources department. With IT, also known as information systems, job seekers can apply without getting to the firm/office involved, thereby avoiding foreseen congestion that could compound office stress or workload. And, having applied, the various applicants can be easily and properly assessed via the use of computing. We must acknowledge that manual system of interview is no longer in vogue if we intend to get it right, especially in the area of Aptitude Test.

          

Management coupled with communication among the staff or between the existing branches of an establishment cannot be overlooked while discussing the essence of computing. Part of management is gathering and disseminating information, and IT can make this routine more accurate by allowing managers to communicate rapidly. Emailing is quick and effective, but the managers can use information systems even more efficiently by storing documents in folders that they share with the employees who need the information. Such activity can be aided with adequate use of networking system.

         

Furthermore, how you manage your firm’s operations depends on the information you have. Information systems can offer more complete and recent info, allowing you to operate your firm/office more efficiently. You can use IT to gain a cost advantage over competitors, or to differentiate your firm’s content by offering better customer service.  
         

For instance, sales’ data give you insights about what customers are purchasing and let you stock or produce items that are selling well. Hence, with guidance from the IT, you can streamline your operations. Additionally, apt use of IT would enable the firm to easily reach out to the public via advertisement, thereby boosting sales or services, as the case may be.

          

Computing can equally help you make excellent decisions by delivering all the required information. Decision-making involves choosing a course of action from several alternatives and carrying out the corresponding tasks. If you can boast of accurate and up-to-date info, you can make the choice with confidence.

          

If more than one choice seems appealing, you can use the available information system to x-ray different scenarios. For each possibility, the system can calculate key indicators such as costs, sales/services, and profits, toward helping you determine which channel gives the most beneficial result.

         

Record purposes are not left out. Your establishment needs records of its daily activities for financial and regulatory purposes, and for ascertaining the causes of problems towards taking corrective measure. Computing enables the firm to store the needed documents as well as revisit histories, communication records, and operational data. The trick to exploiting this recording capability is organizing the data and using the system to process and present it as useful historical information. You can use such information to prepare cost estimates and forecasts, and to analyze how your actions affected the key indicators of the firm.

         

In spite of the overwhelming positive impact of computing on routine office works, mainly in the areas stipulated above, it’s quite appalling that several establishments or parastatals across the country are yet to embrace the routine. To this end, governments at all levels and other relevant stakeholders are expected to make investors and public servants see the routine as priority with a view to embracing a society where every activity would be done with ease, and in an orderly manner.

         

Though the roles of computing in office works can’t be overemphasized, it’s worth noting that a wrong use or application of it can cost the user an untold loss. Thus, every establishment enjoying the services must endeavour to regularly consult professionals as well as train its staff on various computer skills.

          

The impact of computing on the present days’ society remains inevitable, but its wrong use ought to be avoided at all cost towards averting imbroglio. Think about it! 

FDN Nwaozor

Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub

______________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

+2348028608056

Twitter: @mediambassador

Opinion I As Buhari Alters Democracy Day

AS BUHARI ALTERS DEMOCRACY DAY

        

On Wednesday, 6^th June 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari boldly and proudly tendered a historic proclamation to the greatest surprise of most Nigerians. He informed the general public that, henceforth, June 12 every year shall be recognized as Democracy Day as against the already existing May 29.

        

The unannounced decision was reportedly informed by the notion that June 12, which was the day the most credible election in the history of Nigeria that would have enthroned Chief Moshood Abiola – now of the blessed memory – as the second democratically elected president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, took place to the delight of the teeming citizenry.

        

The president further clarified that since the Democracy Day for the year 2018 had already been marked, the newly approved commemoration would take effect from the subsequent years, commencing from 2019. In addition, the message notified that the new democracy day, which would automatically replace May 29, would be observed as a national public holiday.

         

Mr. President equally informed the citizens that in view of the declaration, the government had decided to award posthumously the highest honour of the land, GCFR to the late Chief Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 annulled elections. Similarly, his running mate, Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe would be invested with a GCON award.

        

He also stated that the “tireless fighter for human rights and democracy in general” late Chief Gani Fawehinmi would equally receive posthumously a GCON award. It’s noteworthy that the event for the investiture, which was scheduled for 12^th June 2018, had successfully been conducted.

       

While Nigerians in some quarters were jubilating over the president’s unexpected avowal, some others were bitter that the procedure followed was ill-advised. Based on their view, the president’s decision was necessitated by the fact that the country’s general elections were fast approaching, hence was only targeted to achieve cheap political goals.

        

Some Nigerians who had also criticized the gesture opined that it was a way of reviving the president’s popularity, which was allegedly on the decline, in the South-Western part of the country. According to their argument, Pres. Buhari was gradually losing his political significance in the said geopolitical zone, thus thought it wise to employ such an avenue towards reclaiming the ostensibly lost glory.

         

As most Nigerians are baffled about the politics and timing surrounding the declaration, I’m only much concerned about the due process that was neglected while such a sensitive decision was taken. I’m saddened that it never occurred to the Presidency that a constitutional matter was in question, hence the need not to overlook the lawmaking ambit of the government.

        

I wonder why Mr. President would think that the existing Democracy Day invariably commemorated on May 29 as recognized by the Nigeria’s Public Holidays' Act would easily be written off by merely dishing out a statement from the country’s Seat of Power. I wonder why it didn’t occur to His Excellency that he would have started his consultations from the revered legislators before making his lofty intention public.

        

Though the president unarguably has a constitutional power to proclaim any day as public holiday, he doesn’t possess the right to write off any clause enshrined in the Constitution at the comfort of his home. So, as we applaud him for having considered making Chief Abiola’s soul to eventually rest in peace, it’s paradoxical to realize that the man who had acted like a true advocate of democracy didn’t take into cognizance the real essence of due process.

        

Besides, rather than annulling the widely accepted May 29, the June 12 can be recognized as something else. It can be called Electoral Reform Day because that was the day the country’s electoral process witnessed an obvious reformation, or even Abiola Day.

         

More so, I pondered on the president’s refusal to include the brain behind the success story of the June 12 elections, Prof. Humphrey Nwosu in the list of those that deserved the national award, particularly the GCON, especially now he’s still alive. Or, should we wait until he is dead?

       

Another controversy trailing the proclamation was that it was in conflict with the Act binding the National Honours. The Act stipulates that the honour shall be bestowed on only the citizens of Nigeria. So, the question was if Chief Abiola, who is now late, is still the citizen of the country.

         

If truly that someone was deprived of a certain honour when he/she was alive, I see nothing wrong carrying out the investiture in retrospect whether the recipient is dead or alive. Hence, from my view, this very case didn’t require the legislature to amend that particular clause before we could correct our past mistakes. The question we ought to rather be asking is; did the supposed recipient really deserve the honour while alive?

        

Meanwhile, as we celebrate Chief Abiola in grave, I equally await a day he would be declared as one-time Nigerian President since the award granted to his person is only reserved for those who must have served, or still serving, the country as president. Think about it!

FDN Nwaozor

National Coordinator, Right Thinkers Movement

__________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Twitter: @mediambassador            

     

Opinion I Payroll Palaver And ICT Perspective

PAYROLL PALAVER AND ICT PERSPECTIVE

          

The last time I checked, the Nigerian civil service system was still deeply bedeviled by a cankerworm known as ‘ghost workers’. The syndrome, which isn’t peculiar to the federal level, is indeed ubiquitous that no certain level/unit of government is exempted whenever its scourge is being discussed. Funnily enough, the anomaly has lingered that anyone could insinuate that it’s a norm.

         

Two years ago, precisely on Thursday, 5^th May 2016, during the meeting between federal ministries and Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) in Lagos State as organized by the Minister of Information and Culture – Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun categorically disclosed that the ongoing N165 billion monthly salaries cum allowances of federal civil servants was over-bloated, thus could no longer be sustained by the Federal Government (FG).

         

Mrs. Adeosun who was speaking on the economy reform agenda of the present administration, stated that the said fund represented about forty percent (40%) of the total spending made by the FG. According to her, the figure was outrageous; hence, government was pursuing aggressive measures towards detecting as well as prosecuting ghost workers and other saboteurs in the system.

        

She landed with a mind-boggling revelation that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), which wasn’t fully functional, still had names of about ten thousand (10,000) workers on its payroll regularly serviced by the FG’s coffers.

         

In a related development, in the same 2016, over a huge sum of N4 billion fraud was reportedly discovered in Aso Rock, the Nigeria’s Seat of Power. The discovery was made by President Muhammadu Buhari’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Major Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd). Aside his alleged shocking discovery, which was made after a general security auditing and verification exercise ordered by Mr. President, the NSA further disclosed that  names of twenty-nine (29) ghost security personnel had been on security payroll in the Presidency over the years.

        

The various states and LGAs across the federation aren’t exceptional. On Thursday, 26^th May 2016, the Bayelsa State government said it had uncovered payroll fraud in the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), with the discovery of over 765 illicitly employed teachers in the existing eight local government councils in the state. According to the report, names of fifty (50) dead teachers were equally found on the payroll of Ogbia Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) alone.

         

In spite of the thus far war against corrupt practices or graft invented by the Buhari-led government since inception, the payroll of most government MDAs, and even that of the pensioners, at various levels are still presently influenced by the enemies of the society. This very societal ill, if not aptly tackled, is liable to degenerate into a colossal economic damage in no distant time.  

         

It baffles me that at this age, Nigeria is still lagging behind as regards Information and Communications Technology (ICT). We can’t continue indulging ourselves in retrogressive issues in an era when ICT or Hi-Tech has succeeded in simplifying everything, or unraveling every mystery related to information. Most times I wonder; is it that Nigeria cannot afford the services of IT, or that she can’t boast of or source for the required IT personnel?

        

The answer, of course, is No. Nigeria can afford all of the above. Her plight ab initio, has been lack of orientation and corruption. The people she had had in positions of authority refused to be convinced that ICT is the only way forward concerning the lingering payroll palaver in the country, perhaps owing to lack of political will occasioned by corruption. However, we are intensely glad the current administration apparently detests graft profusely.

          

As the President Buhari–led administration is interested in getting it right, it must acknowledge that obtaining a comprehensive database for all the federal workers is long overdue. Such measure can only be actualized via a forensic approach. To this end, a special unit/department must be created by law under the Ministry of Finance. The proposed unit is subject to be manned by well qualified and reliable IT experts; and no one ought to have access to the department, except its staff and the director/HOD.

        

Additionally, an agency comprising thoroughly scrutinized individuals ought to be set up by law to monitor or oversee the day-to-day activity of the department. The agency would ascertain whenever a worker dies or retires, as the case may be, among other likely events, and thereafter ensure that the record is duly implemented by the unit. Moreover, from time-to-time through their oversight functions, the federal legislators should invite the members, particularly the chairman, of the agency to keep them abreast of happenings.

        

For the above unit to function tactically and properly, every federal MDA must equally boast of a competent and reliable IT unit that would regularly update that of the Finance Ministry being the umbrella body, on matters relating to employment, death, retirement, expulsion, retrenchment, or what have you; the said agency would assist in monitoring the genuineness and adequacy of the aforementioned cooperation. For efficiency’s sake, the unit must engage a viable and reliable software consulting firm toward ensuring holistic update of its software maintenance.

        

The above measure ought to as well be replicated on the part of payment of pensions and gratuities. And, the various state governments ought to, on their part, endeavour to borrow a leaf from the overall proposed approach. It’s arguably time we fully embraced ICT towards enjoying forever. Think about it!

FDN Nwaozor

National Coordinator, Right Thinkers Movement

___________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Twitter: @mediambassador