By Violet Osatohanmwen Obamwonyi
Civil and public servants in the State have been admonished to appreciate the merit-based hiring process that has brought them into the service and do their best to prove their worth by delivering effective and efficient service to the people.
The Edo State Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa Esq., represented by the Permanent Secretary (General Services), Office of the Head of Service, Mrs. Priscilla Aziegbemhin, gave this charge during the 4th edition of the onboarding exercise of newly recruited officers, held at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA).
Okungbowa noted that in prior times, officers were just fixated in Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) without any form of training as they were left only at the mercy of their senior colleagues to teach them the ropes, which was unlikely, since they did not know better themselves.
According to Okungbowa, “The aim of this exercise is to introduce and enlighten officers on the role of government, enable them to have a clear understanding of the operative channels, processes and new ways of working in the service, and familiarize them with the civil service code of conduct.
“I am glad to let you know that excellence has its place in the Edo State civil and public service. We now give automatic employment to first-class graduates. We have brought in over 1,000 young graduate professionals into the service, employees now have conducive environment where they carry out their daily tasks, and salaries, pensions, entitlements and promotions are paid and given as and when due”.
“Already, promotion for 2022 has been approved; no state in the federation has done this. I think you need to consider yourselves privileged because you got in here without knowing anybody. Edo is a State where the child of a nobody can become somebody based on merit and not influence. You should therefore express your appreciation by doing your best to prove your worth”, Okungbowa added.
Also speaking at the onboarding programme, the Permanent Secretary, Human Resource Management, Mr. George Igbarese, said that the exercise which has become an established tradition in the Edo State public service, is designed to bring officers up to speed with the workings of the State’s civil and public service, the provisions of the civil service rules, its applications, and ultimately equip them with the right skills and knowledge to improve their productivity level.
According to Igberase, “The onboarding is a strategic objective of deepening the transformation programmes in the service and it is designed to bring workers up to speed with the new thinking and precepts of the technologically driven 21st century public service, pioneered by Governor Godwin Obaseki”.
“Effective service delivery as we all know, has become an operative term in the global service economy and Edo State Government has undertaken to be a major player in that milieu by committing to excellence in the governance of the State”, Igberase added.
Expressing appreciation to the State Government, Portia Osayande, one of the officers being onboarded, said that she has gained a lot from the exercise. She said: “I want to commend the Edo State Government for putting together this onboarding exercise. Through this program, my colleagues and I have been well intimated about the rules of civil service engagements as well as the operational structure. I believe that with this information, we would be able discharge our duties effectively.
“I applied for this job without really believing that I would get it. I thought it was one of the usual charade put up by previous administrations, but to my utmost surprise, I was called for interview and eventually, I landed the job. I want to thank Governor Obaseki for encouraging transparency, meritocracy and rewarding excellence.”
