From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
The Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has restated the commitment of his administration towards capacity building and career progression of workers employed by government.
The Governor who stated this on Monday while declaring open an Induction/Orientation Programme for newly-recruited officers into the Civil Service noted that his administration has made steady strides in human capital development despite the State’s lean resources.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, the Governor said the recent recruitments carried out by the administration have helped to reduce the rate of unemployment in the State and injected fresh blood into the Public Service.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant (Media) to the Deputy Governor, Odunayo Ogunmola, the induction was put in place to familiarise the new civil servants with their duties in the Service and the understanding of their roles in implementing the administration’s five-pillar agenda, among others.
The one-week exercise which ended on Friday was organised by the Office of Capacity Development and Reforms in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice Academy.
Congratulating them on their employment, Dr. Fayemi urged the inductees to justify the confidence reposed in them describing the exercise as a fundamental kind of training that every new officer must be subjected to right from the onset.
The Governor said he was fulfilled that the induction was a fulfillment of another promise made to the people of Ekiti State in the area of employment of its youths expressing joy that the new intakes were joining the Service to add value to the system.
He said: “I urge all inductees to fully concentrate and utilise the golden opportunity given to you to work hard and maximise the output in the course of your service to our dear State.
“We need your good attitude and mindset to add values to the State Civil Service. You should go the extra mile to engage in self-development, acquire skills, be courageous and have confidence in yourself and career.
“Have it in mind always that you are talented and you are not appointed by happenstance, but on merit. I want you to show the world that you are invaluable assets and your best is yet to be discovered.”
The Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Funminiyi Afuye, assured that the state legislature would assist the Civil Service with the needed framework to enhance its operation and better service delivery.
While noting that the Fayemi administration places on quality service, Rt. Hon. Afuye disclosed that the 6th Assembly had passed over 40 bills since its inauguration in 2019 many of which he said had strengthened public service.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olawale Fapohunda, charged the inductees to emulate the Deputy Governor who is renowned for arriving at public functions to time saying the new workers must imbibe punctuality in their service.
Mr. Fapohunda disclosed that the Governor has set the standards of efficiency and responsiveness to the needs of Ekiti people the workers are serving in the implementation of government policies.
He charged workers in the Civil Service to empower themselves with digital skills in order to be relevant in the 21st Century revealing that all workers in his ministry would be made to compulsorily undergo computer education.
The Head of Service, Mrs. Peju Babafemi, praised the Governor for his commitment to workers’ welfare and capacity development and for repositioning the public service.
She said the programme was put together to integrate participants into the public service and acquaint them with the rules, policies, procedures and build networks for regular exchange of professional ideas and support one another beyond the induction.
