The Executive Governor, State of Osunmeets Ogbeni Adegboyega Oyetola has urged Southwest Heads of Service to key into the region’s growth agenda.
He said the Civil sServic Chiefs should rise towards revitalisation and recovery of the lost glory of the civil service in the region.
Oyetola noted that the quest to build a virile region that would be a model and lead to the actualisation of the dreams of the founding fathers should be driven by those at the helm of affairs.
The governor spoke yesterday while opening the Strategic Meeting of the Heads of Service in Southwest States organised in collaboration with Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission and Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL) in Osogbo.
The meeting was attended by Heads of Service in Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti and Lagos states; Chief of Staff to the Osun State Governor Dr. Charles Akinola; Director-General, DAWN Commission, Mr. Seye Oyeleye, and top civil servants, among others.
Oyetola called on the bureaucrats to take advantage of their convergence to work out modalities that would strengthen civil service and promote efficiency, productivity, diligence, effectiveness and proficiency across levels in the public service.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Benedict Alabi, implored the chief bureaucrats and technocrats to adhere strictly to the ethics of their profession and promote things that could place the region above its peers.
He said the Heads of Service must begin to look inward to address myriads of challenges confronting the region in view of their status as an integral part of the government in each of the Western states.
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Oyetola said: “As chief technocrats and policy-makers in your different states, the onus lies on you all, for a return to the old functional and efficient public service that used to be the pride of all.
“There is no doubt that your meeting from time to time and at this period towards sharpening the bureaucracy in our region is well acknowledged as a step in the right direction.
“It is no doubt widely recognised that this is capable of ensuring efficient service delivery, especially within the ambit of the public service.
“Right from the days of the defunct Western Region under the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, you would all recall that the Western States Public Service was ahead of its peers in the Nigerian Federation.
“Meanwhile, your collective initiative to make a difference will equally impact positively on public service efficiency and due process and move the zone forward, thereby making the dreams of the founding fathers come true, especially in this period of national economic disequilibrium.”
Oyetola, who hailed the leadership of the civil service in the region for bringing and holding the meeting in Osun, reaffirmed his administration’s determination to ensure the standard of living and make life abundant for workers in the state.
Osun Head of Service Dr. Oyebade Olowogboyega told the participants of the state’s commitment towards repositioning and rebuilding the civil service.
He stressed the need for him and his colleagues to work together to ensure that the Southwest reclaimed its position as the most formidable and productive region
The Director-General DAWN Commission, Mr. Seye Oyeleye, told the participants to maximise the opportunity of the meeting to brainstorm on things that would effect change in the system.
