By Violet Osatohanmwen Obamwonyi
Towards advancing the intellectual capital within the Public Service, with a strong focus on enhancing the professionalism of administrative and human resource officers, the Edo State Head of Service (HOS), Dr. Anthony Okungbowa has assured the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) of increased membership by officers of the State Public Service.
Dr. Okungbowa gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the CIPM, in his office at the Government House, Benin City. While emphasizing the pivotal role of the Administrative Cadre in the Service, he underscored the need to equip the human resource personnel with globally aligned training and certifications. He asserted that the Service is the instrumentality through which the Government delivers quality governance to the people.
Congratulating the newly elected Edo Executives and Council representatives for emerging winners in the just concluded elections of CIPM, Dr. Okungbowa pledged the same level of support previously extended to their predecessors. According to him, “The Administrative Cadre is the heart and soul of the Civil Service. Everything revolves around administration and human resource management, because governance is ultimately about people. And as such, strengthening this Cadre is central to achieving the objectives of the government.
“If you succeed at strengthening it, then you would have succeeded in ensuring that government is proactive and productive and that government reflects the wishes and aspirations of the people.”
He assured the CIPM delegation of the State Government’s support in encouraging increased membership among the Civil and Public servants, noting that the State Governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo remains passionate about repositioning the public sector for enhanced performance and productivity. He commended those who have gone out of their way to secure membership on their own, saying, “I was surprised to hear that our membership figures are still low. We will continue to drive awareness and encourage enrollment into the Institute to raise our professional standards.
“His Excellency, Sen. Monday Okpebholo is quite enthusiastic about ensuring that the Civil and Public Service are well positioned to deliver. For me I am dedicated to this course and I can assure you that the desire to have 100 new members would be achieved. We are also promising you will have an unprecedented number of Edo delegates at the CIPM upcoming 57th International Conference in October. We will be driving awareness within the Service; opening our staff eyes to see the benefit of becoming a member.”
Dr. Okungbowa lauded the Institute’s dedication to intellectual development and affirmed Edo State’s willingness to partner with CIPM in furthering professionalism within the Civil Service. In his words, “Please extend our appreciation to the CIPM President and Chairman of Council. We are ready to partner and support you in delivering your mandate. CIPM stands out among professional bodies for its credible membership process. I am a very proud member of CIPM. We will ensure we work with you to ensure your success is not just huge but phenomenal.”
The President and Chairman of CIPM Governing Council, Mallam Ahmed Ladan Gobir, represented by Osahon Omole, an elected CIPM Council member, commended the HOS unwavering commitments to human capital development and ethical governance, reaffirming the State’s dedication to building results-driven, digital and professional Service.
He expressed appreciation for the HOS’ support to the Institute, revealing that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has recently issued a memo mandating that all administrative and human resource officers across the Civil and Public Service must be professionally certified by a recognised institute.
The Chairman who hinted that the visit coincided with the celebration of the World HR Day, observed annually on 20th May, extended a formal invite to the 57th International Conference and Exhibition, and requested sponsorship for the delegates.
Similarly, the Chairman of CIPM (Edo State Branch), Enobun Ogbemudia Peter lauded Dr. Okungbowa for his reform-driven leadership, which he said has elevated the visibility and integrity of the Edo’s Civil and Public Service. He further revealed plans to establish CIPM study centers across the State while proposing the formation of local chapels to expand the Institute’s reach.
