18th May, 2023
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has told newly appointed permanent secretaries that he expected nothing less than excellence from them.
The governor spoke when he swore-in eight new permanent secretaries on Thursday at the State House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu charged the Permanent Secretaries, who he said will be driving the machinery of government, to bring additional levels of commitment, loyalty and service to the State in their respective capacities, stressing that the new responsibilities placed higher expectations on them to justify their appointments to the positions.
He said: “With your appointment to the position of Permanent Secretary, what is expected of you is an additional level of loyalty, commitment and service to the citizens of Lagos. Given your pedigree and professional experience, I expect nothing less than excellent and result-oriented leadership in your respective posts. Your work must speak excellently for itself. I urge the new appointees to discharge their duties with minimal supervision.
“As a Government, we will continue to identify and reward public servants who give in their best in service of our State. We are in service to ensure Lagos continues to thrive for businesses and habitable for people. Our citizens must get these dividends in whatever areas we are discharging our responsibilities. You must know too well that our service must be for the benefit of tax payers, who will be measuring the government’s overall performance.”
Sanwo-Olu told the appointees that their selection for the positions, after undergoing rigorous screening procedures, was approved based on the knowledge, commitment, dedication and professionalism they brought to bear in the service of the State.
The Governor, who described the screening process as merit-driven, said the established standards instituted by his administration for the appointment of Permanent Secretaries had continued to bring out the best among the personnel within the State’s workforce.
The Head of Service (HOS), Mr. Hakeem Muri-Olu, said the process for appointing Permanent Secretary, as instituted by the Sanwo-Olu administration, was not only fair and transparent, but also rigorous and at par with best practice across the world.
Represented by Mrs. Olasunkanmi Oyegbola, Permanent Secretary, Public Service Office, the HOS said the Governor should take full credit for the merit-driven procedures instituted in Lagos public service.
The Governor, Muri-Okunola said, was impressed with the performance of medical doctors in the screening exercise for Permanent Secretary position and agreed in principle to the proposed reforms in the health sector, which will further pave the way for the appointment of more medical doctors into the body of Permanent Secretaries.
The modality for the process, HOS disclosed, is being fine-tuned by his office in conjunction with Permanent Secretaries in the health sector.
He said: “It is to be noted that the now instituted procedure of appointing Permanent Secretary is not only fair and transparent, but also rigorous and at par with the best of its kind anywhere in the world. I am proud to acknowledge that the Governor takes full credit for this initiative.
“The quality and standard selection process was in line with the Governor’s commitment to repositioning the State public service for improved service delivery. All the appointees have since resumed at their respective positions.
“Until his confirmation by the House of Assembly, Adewuyi Moshood Adewale will remain a Permanent Secretary,” Muri-Okunola said.]
Newly appointed Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Mrs Olayinka Patunola-Ajayi, who gave vote of assurance on behalf of the appointees, pledged not to take the Governor’s confidence in them for granted.
“We will work with you, Mr. Governor, to achieve your Greater Lagos vision for the State,” she said.
Other Permanent Secretaries appointed are Adebowale Adeoye Bashir (Tutor-General, Education District 1), Dr Yusuf Shareefah Adejoke (Tutor-General, Education District VI), Amuni Abayomi Mustapha (Tutor-General, Education District V), Mrs Olushekun Bibilomo Olayide (Office of Local Government Establishments and Training), Mr Obadina Akinbode (Local Government Service Commission) and Mrs Akanbi Adenike Ganiat (Office of the Chief of Staff).