Ovation as Ajimobi confirms Head of Service, 17 Perm Secs, others
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Monday received a standing ovation from the state civil servants as he announced the confirmation of the acting Head of Service, Mr. Soji Eniade and 17 permanent secretaries who have also been in acting capacity.
The governor made the announcement while speaking at the inter-faith prayer service marking the first working day of the New Year at the Governor’s Office Car Park, Ibadan.
He also announced the confirmation of the acting Accountant-General of the State, Auditor-General (State) and the Auditor-General (Local Governments) while some retired senior directors had their promotions to the position of permanent secretaries backdated.
The inter-faith prayer service witnessed the assemblage of members of the State Executive Council, members of the state House of Assembly, heads of extra-ministerial departments and the civil servants who turned out in large number.
Governor Ajimobi said that the gesture was in appreciation of the cooperation and support which his administration had received from the civil servants in the last three and a half years, saying that they (workers) had performed tremendously well in the actualization of his restoration, transformation and repositioning agenda.
“Today’s event is unique in many respects. First is that, it gives us the opportunity to reflect on how God started with our administration three and a half years ago and placed within us the passion for excellence and the drive to significantly and positively affect the administration of our dear state.
“ It has been a wonderful experience being called upon to serve the people of Oyo State. For an appreciable part of my life, I have had the privilege to be in the private sector where the definition of success is synonymous with productivity, a productivity that is measured in terms of quantifiable profit-making declared every year.
“However, the definition of success on this side of the economy, that is, the public service, is basically quantified in terms of good governance which includes social welfare programmes implemented in furtherance of the franchise with the public.
Thus, deliveries in health, education, security, infrastructural development, wealth creation, investment, rural development, agriculture, environmental sanitation, among others constitute veritable indices to assess our responsiveness, sensitivity and performance as an administration,’’ he said.
While assessing his administration since it came on board in 2011, Governor Ajimobi said that by all standards, it had done very well, especially when compared with its predecessors.
“A vivid juxtaposition of our performance with what obtained before us will no doubt show that we are not only matching our electoral promises with action but also meeting the people’s needs by delivering the dividends of democracy long denied the good people of Oyo State,’’ he said.
The governor recalled that at the inauguration of his administration in May 2011, he presented a transformation agenda based on a tripod developmental thrust of restoration, transformation and repositioning, encapsulated in the vision of making every citizen to be the best he could.
“I am proud to say that today, we have restored peace and good governance; we have re-positioned our great Oyo State in infrastructural development, education and health sectors and the reformation tide has swept away tyranny, ineptitude and maladministration,’’ he said.
Governor Ajimobi, however, said that the restoration of the pacesetter status of the state could not have been possible without the inputs of men and women with impeccable pedigree who had stood by him and who had shared his vision.
He noted that his administration came on board at a time when the morale of workers was at its lowest ebb, stressing that the political violence that beclouded the state was imminent on the sacred soil of the state secretariat and the public institutions.
“The entire Civil/Public Service was polarized. The working environment was not conducive for workers. There was unprecedented rot and neglect. There was an attendant low and declining productivity, lack of intuition and initiative, and apparent lethargy in the system.
“Whereas the founding fathers designed the Civil Service as a vehicle for implementation of government policies and programmes, yet it had remained almost immobile, static and unproductive,’’ adding that his government then decided to inject life into the workforce as it believed that without a virile, purposeful, dynamic and responsive public service, no government can be successful’’.
He charged the civil servants to work diligently, give their best in the service of the state, be agents of positive change and ensure prompt delivery of public good.
In his welcome address, the state Head of Service, Mr. Soji Eniade commended the governor for restoring peace to the state and Ibadan in particular which had gained notoriety for nurturing hooliganism, leading to destruction of lives and property.
He said that the profundity of the positive and quality social changes being witnessed in the state today was a testimony to good governance and sterling qualities of Governor Ajimobi who he described as a leader with character, courage, capacity and ability.
Highlights of the events were recitations from the Bible and Quran, giving of sermons by both Christian and Islamic clerics and special prayers for the New Year.