Ekiti Government Approves Overseas Training For Nine Permanent Secretaries

L-R: Speaker. Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Ominrin; wife of newly appointed Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Bisi Alokan; her husband, Babatunde; Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu; Governor Kayode Fayemi; his Wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; another newly appointed Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Yemisi Owoseni; and her husband, Dele, during the Swearing-In Ceremony of the two Permanent Secretaries, in Ado-Ekiti.

In line with the resolve of his administration on an effective and result-driven civil service, Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has approved various training programmes for no fewer than nine
permanent secretaries at the Royal Institute of Public Administration in the United Kingdom this year.

The Governor who made this known in Ado Ekiti at the swearing in of two newly appointed Permanent Secretaries said his administration would continue to avail workers enough capacity development opportunities in order to meet immediate gaps as well as assist the workforce so that they wont be left behind in the acquisition of up-to-date knowledge in their various fields.

The two appointees are Mr Tunde Alokan who until his appointment was the Executive Secretary of the State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC) and Mrs Oluyemisi Owolabi  who was the former acting Accountant-General of the State between January 2011 and September 2011.

Governor Fayemi disclosed that the plan to establish a first class training institution in partnership with the Ekiti State University, (EKSU) has reached an advanced  stage as the university’s  Council has acceded to the establishment of the Institute of Policy and Governance; adding that  the institute will be an avenue to train civil servants so that they could function at full capacity to drive Government’s desire to deliver good quality services to the citizenry.

On the appointment of the two new Permanent Secretaries, the Governor said this was a sequel to the vacancies created by the retirement of a Permanent Secretary and the need to fortify the Deputy Governor’s office which role has become more critical as a result of the extent of its oversight functions.

Fayemi announced that the new Deputy Governor, Professor Modupe Adelabu, in addition to her regular assignments as Deputy Governor, would remain as the Chairperson of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and exercise oversight duties over the Ministries if Education, Science and Technology as well as Local Government Affairs.

The decision to post a Permanent Secretary to the Deputy Governor’s office, he said, is to enhance its operational efficiency as well as promote transparency and accountability to which his administration is committed.

Speaking on the competence of the new appointees, Governor Fayemi said the duo performed creditably well in the last assessment for appointments but were placed on the waiting list on account of limited establishment vacancies.

The Governor who assured that the State would not return to the days when appointments of Permanent Secretaries were based on patronage rather than ability and competence, urged the new appointees to put their competencies to the use of the service of the State by showing absolute commitment to duty.

On economic development at the grassroots, Fayemi said Local Government chairmen have been encouraged to set up committees to assess sites for the construction of modern markets to expand the frontiers of commerce in the State and complement the relocation of traders from major roads.

He added that the implementation of the second phase of the township road development programme is being pursued with vigour, even as he said that a new Ekiti State is being unveiled as all institutions are engaged in healthy and coordinated competition to make contributions to ensure that the State has a future that all and sundry will be proud of.

In his remarks, one of the two Permanent Secretaries, Mr Tunde Alokan thanked the State Government for the opportunity given them to serve the State as permanent secretaries and assured that they would live up to expectation.

Last modified: May 27, 2013