By Omodele Adigun
Demola Badejo, the newly-elected Regional President of Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries in the South-West, has promised that the association will work closely with the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission and the South-West Development Commission with the headquarters in Ibadan.
According to Badejo, a lawyer and retired permanent secretary in Ogun state, this is necessary to ensure the rapid socio-economic development of the region.
He spoke on Thursday in Akure shortly after his election and inauguration as the president at the Annual General Meeting of the association.
He also said the association would continue to provide useful advice to state governments in the region.
“Our focus will remain anchored on our core mandate. We will continue to provide useful advice to the state governments in our region, ensuring we play our part in enhancing and upholding the cherished traditions of the civil service.
“We shall be committed to fostering strong and collaborative relationships,” said Badejo, a one-time Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun Council.
He recalled that the last British governor of the defunct Western Region, Sir John Rankine had described the Western Region public service as “one of the best, if not the best, in black Africa and compared more than favourably with civil services in even more developed lands.”
Earlier, the Ondo State Head of Service, Bayo Philip, had said sexual harassment under the new extant rules guiding the state’s public service now attract summary dismissal and criminal prosecution for the offence.
He said that the state had reviewed its civil service rules and policies in order to meet up with expectations of the public.
According to him, the reviewed civil service has increased maternity leave from three months to six months while there is provision for paternity leave of two weeks.
The HoS said that the service, with its new mantra: “don’t deliver short and don’t deliver late”, was aimed to align with the 21st Century of the public service with greater output.
Philip, who said that the state, which has 42,000 staff strength with 13,000 pensioners, had no arrears of staff promotion.
Also speaking, the state Chairman of the association, Mojisola Ajayi, appealed to all South-West governors to rejig the civil service by eliminating dysfunctionality and restoring efficiency to meet the people’s needs.
Ajayi added that there must be pension scheme reform that would make the welfare of pensioners to be urgently addressed, stating that many retirees struggled with economic hardship.
According to her, the South-West governors should replicate the success recorded in establishment of the South-West Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, in all sectors of their respective states.
Ajayi commended Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa for his compassionate and visionary leadership, particularly in prioritising the welfare of pensioners and for his strides in all sectors.
In the same vein, the South-West President, Ebenezer Okebukola, said that the association had presented the blueprint on the proposed plan of action for the economic development of the South-West Nigeria to the region’s governors.
Okebukola, who appreciated the governors for identifying with the project, commended the financial gesture of Aiyedatiwa to the association and asked other governors in the region to support the association to do more.
He also thanked all state governments in the region for their specific laudable projects in their respective states.
In his speech, Aiyedatiwa described the associated as noble and credible, saying that it had made huge significant contributions to the upliftment and development in the South-West.
Aiyedatiwa, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Segun Omojuwa, said that his administration had made policies to ensure the best could be achieved by civilian servants.
“Your members have undoubtedly played key roles in shaping government policies and programmes.
“You have regularly agreed with various state governors, offering your wealth of experience and institutional capacity to positively influence policy formulation and engage in transformative development across the South-West.
“I, therefore, wish to congratulate the leadership and ground members of this noble association for remaining ready for the height of your disengagement from active public service.
“Even though you have retired, you are not tired,” he said.
In his remarks, Bunmi Alade, the Chairman of Ondo State Forum of Permanent Secretaries, described the occasion as inspiring and significant as it brought together those whose stewardship and sacrifice had assisted greatly in shaping the fabric of governance and administration.
Alade said that the voices of the retired Heads of Service and permanent secretaries remained critical to the strengthening of the values of professionalism, integrity, and discipline, upon which the public service must continue to stand.
He commended the visions of the association to drive integration, coordination and sustainable development across the South- West.
Other elected executive members are Elder Daniel Aina, the Regional Vice President from Ekiti; Adenike Olufadewa, the Regional Secretary from Oyo; and Alhaji Adekunle Adegbite, Assistant General Secretary from Ogun.
Also elected are Segun Olorunsogo, the Regional Treasurer from Osun; Adesunbo Abolarin, the Financial Secretary from Lagos; Juliana Folabi-Fayehun, the Regional Public Relations Officer from Ondo; and Adeoye Popoola, the Legal Officer from Osun.
