An efficient civil service crucial for nat’l devt, governance – OSINBAJO
(Nigeria) Not only is the capacity of the public sector critical for national development, efficient civil service is also very vital for the running of governance and for quality public service delivery, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
Osinbajo stated this today at the commissioning of the new
multi-billion-naira civil service secretariat complex in Asaba, Delta State
capital, which was named after the Asagba of Asaba (traditional ruler of
Asaba), Prof. Chike Edozien.
Earlier, the Vice President had also commissioned an 8.5MW
Power Plant with a 25km distribution network in Asaba right behind the new
secretariat.
The Independent Power Project, which was jointly facilitated
by the Delta State government and Bastanchury Power Solutions, is now providing
24/7 electricity supply to the State Government House and the Secretariat in
Asaba.
The plant was set up under a Willing Buyer-Willing Seller
basis, an arrangement between the State and the firm that did not require a
Power Purchase Agreement, PPA, which would normally require a Sovereign
Guarantee.
The Vice President, who was received at the Asaba airport by
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, noted at the secretariat that the commissioning was
historic, “because the seat of the civil service of any arm of government anywhere
in the world is usually one of the major monuments enshrining not just the
power, but also the splendour of the authority of government.”
"This imposing complex clearly meets this requirement.
In due course, such buildings become historical monuments," he observed.
According to the VP, the civil service is the very tip of
the spear of governance, and optimal public service delivery requires an
efficient civil service.
“Such a public service requires training, and capacity
building but also workspaces that are well equipped, conducive, and
inspirational. We have heard already how inspired the public servants today are
and they are even spending long hours in the office. This is very commendable
indeed. Public servants require environments that bring out the best in them.
This secretariat complex will provide such an environment," he stated.
The VP, who described the new secretariat as a state-of-the-art,
functional, and befitting secretariat complex, said it was befitting that the
State decided to immortalize the name of one of Delta State's and Nigeria's
most illustrious sons.
He also observed that the recognition the Delta State
government has accorded Prof. Edozien would serve as an inspiration and a
pointer to the kind of excellence required in public service.
According to Osinbajo, “in naming this building after His
Royal Majesty, you are not just celebrating a highly respected and deserving
son of Delta State and Nigeria, you are also signaling the sort of excellence
in public service that we wish to see incubated within this complex.
“But perhaps more importantly, you are saying to a
generation, not old enough to be employed in the civil service today, that
integrity, diligence, and service to community and country still pay. It is my hope that this place will, like the
eminent personage after whom it is named, be a symbol of unity and distinction.
The VP commended Governor Okowa, for recognising the
critical role of the public sector.
He further said the State Governor deserved commendation for
being able to provide the funding for the laudable project “despite dwindling
revenue receipts and severe resource constraints across all levels of
government in our country.”
On the essence of building capacity in the public sector,
the VP noted that “whether we are talking about the need for more internally
generated revenues and greater tax efficiency to compensate for resource
deficits, or the management of a public health crisis such as a pandemic, or
even the drive for more internally generated revenue, it is the capacity of the
public sector that is invariably at issue,” Prof. Osinbajo added.
The Vice President, who had earlier paid a courtesy call to
the Palace of the Asagba of Asaba, noted that the traditional ruler was a
bridge builder who brings people together.
“His Royal Majesty, Prof. Edozien, the Asagba of Asaba-
Nigeria's oldest living professor in any discipline and an internationally
renowned Professor of Medicine, but more importantly an outstanding
bridge-builder and patriot.
“As Your Excellency confirms, His Majesty has played and
continues to play an important role as a symbol of unity in this State. And
that during his thirty-year reign so far, the town of Asaba has changed
dramatically becoming the capital of the newly created Delta State in 1991 and
has attracted people from far and wide that have come to seek their fortunes
here,” the VP stated.
In his remarks at his palace, the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Edozien,
who thanked the State Governor for the recognition given him, described Vice
President Osinbajo as a wise man.
“As the Vice President of this great country, Nigeria, we
know you as a very distinguished and eminent supporter of law, and we know you
as a pastor of the Redeemed Church. Put together, we can say that with all
these qualifications and experience, you are a wise man.
“Once again, Mr. Vice President, I thank you for coming to
Asaba to listen to us. We wish you well, and that after the commissioning, you
return safely to Abuja. Our love and regard to Mr. President. God bless you.”
Also, at the commissioning of the Secretariat, Governor Okowa while welcoming Prof. Osinbajo to the State, noted that “Mr. Vice President is a true statesman and an uncommon leader.”
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