Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has sworn-in Mr Kayode Ogundele as the 15th Head of Service..
Akeredolu, at the swearing-in on Wednesday in Akure, said that Ogundele’s appointment was based on his rich and inspiring record of service to which people attested.
He congratulated Ogundele on being considered worthy to serve as the number one civil servant of the state.
The governor expressed hope that his elevation would justify the expectation of quality service and unalloyed loyalty to the state.
He advised the new head of service to maintain and surpass the performance of his predecessors, adding that the understanding between the government and labour was maintained throughout their stints in office.
The governor, however, commended workers in the state for displaying maturity in resolving issues, noting that the challenges faced by his administration since COVID-19 outbreak have been enormous.
“Our administration set out with the pledge not to owe workers. We met arrears of salaries spanning seven months. We have been able to offset six months.
“We paid salaries as and when due. Deserving members of staff were promoted. We have been encouraging the service to uphold the principles of equity and fair play.
“The disruption in the course of progression notwithstanding, our administration continues to put the welfare of workers on its priority list. We thank all those who appreciate and reciprocate this gesture,” he said.
Akeredolu promised to continue pursing a policy of enhancement for all citizens, adding that he would apply the extant regulations to deter fraudulent people in the system.
“There have been very disturbing discoveries in the service. We have established cases of falsification of documents to derive undue advantage. There are cases of some unscrupulous elements who have been receiving double salaries.
“I have directed that all those culpable should be dismissed. I await a report on the steps taken to comply with this directive from the new Head of Service.
“There are also those who have been involved in disgraceful acts amounting to criminal breach of trust. The law must take its course.
“The new Head of Service has served in virtually all ministries and agencies of the Ondo state government before the latest appointment. It is expected that he will bring this wealth of experience to bear on service delivery,” he said.
The governor further said that the deployment of staff by the new Head of Service would take into account areas of acute needs.
”The hinterlands must not be shortchanged in any way and qualified teachers must be posted to the rural communities for the benefit of our children.
“The government insists on knowing all those it owes obligations, both moral and financial. The era of redundancy is coming to an end.
“Slowly, but steadily, this dministration will strive to bequeath a functional, efficient and responsive service to the people of the state. All accounting officers must be ready to render account of their stewardship,” he added.
In his remarks, the outgone Head of Service, Mr John Adeyemo, said the public service had moved to the next level by virtue of the remarkable feats chronicled under his administration.
Adeyemo said the reform initiative driven by the Head of Service office continued to make appreciable progress on the value and virtue of public service to attain the policy programmes of his administration.
The New Head of Service thanked the governor for finding him worthy to lead the state bureaucracy as the Head of Service.
Ogundele said that his appointment was a call to service with the expectation of extensions of frontiers of impactful and purposeful governance.
