From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Hard work, diligence, dedication to duty as well as punctuality, are key characteristics that stand out any worker among his or her peers.
Reward, on the other hand, serves as a tonic or impetus to be more hardworking.
Thus, it was jubilation galore as some Ogun State Government workers were recently rewarded for their outstanding performances and dedication to duties each with a two-bedroom house by Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
What made the reward unique was that selection was not based on the normal service performance scheme alone, rather, the governor himself, having observed some of the recipients covertly over time, decided to reward the low cadre workers like a street sweeper whose name is yet to be ascertained and a traffic officer, Mrs. Adekoya Folasade, for hard work and dedication to duty.
Apart from the duo, a tea boy in the Office of the Governor, Sule Isiaka, also became a landlord. Equally, two top civil servants, Wole Dosunmu and Waheed Adesina of the Ministry of Information and Strategy, benefited from the governor’s largesse.
Announcing the gift during the presentation of keys to successful applicants of A.A.K Degun Estate constructed for public servants in Laderin, Abeokuta, Amosun disclosed that he has been monitoring both the street sweeper and the traffic officer for quite a long time even without knowing their names.
He said they were always at their duty posts as early as 5a.m, adding that he always sited them anytime he had the cause to go out very early or whenever he was doing project monitoring. Names of other three beneficiaries were picked from the list of outstanding civil servants compiled during the last Workers Day in May.
Speaking after she was presented with the key to her flat, Adekoya expressed surprise at unexpected gift. She said she started traffic job as a volunteer with Holy Police of the Redeemed Christian of Church of God. She advised her co-workers to always show dedication to duty, saying she was just doing her job with passion, not expecting the governor to reward her with house.
Meanwhile, 160 other public servants who successfully applied for the Estate named after the first Head of Service in the state also received keys to their apartments.