In his words "I neither work in a toxic environment nor subscribe to confrontation and belligerence as a leadership approach to getting results; for me, the ultimate is achieving our goals and delivering on our mandate and I believe there are better ways of resolving conflicts without resorting to actions that will embarrass the government and paint both institutions in bad light".
He declared that "As much as I do not believe that the powers of the Commission should be subsumed by the NPF(of course it cannot happen under my watch), the truth however remains, we cannot succeed and deliver on our mandate as an agency if we are working at cross purposes with the agency we are over-sighting"
According to a press release by the Head of Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani on 6th August, 2023, Dr Arase, made these statements during his first official town hall meeting with staffs of the commission over the weekend, adding that he is in the Commission for service to God and humanity.
"Just know that I share in your pains; your financial complaints are cogent and I promise to always do what I can to lessen these pains."
The PSC Chairman assured the Staff that serious talks and efforts had already began towards an amicable resolution and settlement of "all vexatious issues in a win-win situation for all".
Dr. Arase therefore implored the staff to show restraint and eschew every form of preconceptions, misconceptions and prejudices against the NPF for de-escalation of the conflict and restoration of trust and friendliness between the two agencies "
"He assured the Staff that he is totally concerned about them but not limited to their financial well-being but also health which has necessitated the establishment of a sick bay."
He noted that he was not oblivious of the fact that he inherited a lot of liabilities of the Commission in terms of "allowances owed to personnel for different duties performed; ranging from election duties, duty tour allowances to first twenty-eight days; it has always been my belief that workers deserve their wages and there is dignity in labour"
Speaking on repositioning the Commission for optimal functionality in delivering on its mandate, the PSC Chairman said he fully understood that the staff must be regularly trained and retrained on the rudiments of oversight functions. "On this note, I reached out and held meetings with UN agencies, Embassies , Civil Society Organisations and other government organisations requesting for training assistance and collaborative support towards capacity building of the staff of the Commission.
"A few progress has been made as some Directors were trained virtually in University of Pretoria, South Africa on oversight Course. Some others will be going to NIPPS, Jos and Lagos within this month for different courses".
He announced that the Town Hall Meeting will be regular and held quarterly to bridge any form of communication gap in the administration of the Commission.