Speeches

Grand Finale Of 2009 Public Service Week Celebration

Jun 23, 2009 - I am very delighted to join the ever resourceful and committed 50,000 strong Lagos State Civil Service workforce in celebrating this year’s Civil Service week. My experience within the short space of years I have been in real public service has shown that no matter how brilliant and experienced a government’s chief executive and his appointed or elected team may be, without the support of the Civil Servants, such an administration is doomed for failure.

We have been very lucky in Lagos to have one of the best and finest Civil Service in the country. They have demonstrated initiative, dependability and steadfastness.

Once again, I acknowledge the competence and support of Lagos State Civil Servants in interpreting our administration’s policies and programmes to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people in the last two years.

Let me specially commend the No. 1 Civil Servant and Head of Service, Mr. Yakub Abiodun Balogun, the Body of Permanent Secretaries and the entire Pubic Servants in Lagos State on the occasion of the 2009 Public Service Week with an appropriate and relevant theme chosen by the Conference of African Ministers for Public/Civil Service “Fostering Partnership and Collaborations for Sustainable Development and Improved Service Delivery in Africa”.

The Public Service Week Celebration is significant because it provides us with the opportunity to reflect on the journey and progress made so far in transforming the Public Service into an effective instrument of governance and development for social evolution.

You will recall, in my address to you at similar occasions in the past of my expectations of a proactive Public Service geared towards effective service delivery. The Public Service that Lagos State Mega City requires must imbibe the culture of innovation in routine work ethic, as well as, develop appropriate tools for anticipating change and challenges.

In order to be relevant and effective, the Civil Service must rediscover its cherished tradition of Service, Loyalty and Excellence and complement them with Integrity and Leadership in the management of scarce resources.

I, therefore, urge you all to redouble your efforts to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency in service delivery to the people of Lagos State; you should continue to work with the passion and dynamism that is the hallmark of the Lagos State Civil Service.

Our administration, at its inception, realized that promoting effective partnership in the implementation of infrastructural development and social empowerment initiatives will not only be vital in achieving sustainable development, it will also engender greater leverage in achieving improved service delivery. Therefore, we will continue to encourage, recognize and reward diligent, resourceful and outstanding public servants in Lagos State.

We have initiated a new culture in the Lagos State Public Service through the “Project WHEEL” initiative to ensure that the Public Service truly becomes a catalyst in the transformation of Service Delivery. This approach will enable us to change from the traditional bureaucratic approach to an innovative model that lays emphasis on efficient delivery, one-stop services and cross-agency results.

In this regard, we have established a Public-Private Partnership Office that is in charge of all issues relating to Public-Private Partnership and our administration is engaged in partnership with the Private Sector in diverse policy development areas such as law enforcement and security, social services, transportation, environment, education and finance.

The significant progress that our administration has achieved so far has been possible because of your commendable perseverance, abiding faith in our policies and programmes, as well as, demonstrable dedication to duty and unflinching loyalty to the State.

We shall continue to count on your support and cooperation in the coming years as we strive to consolidate on the gains made so far and tackle fresh challenges in our march towards the growth and development of the “New Lagos” of our collective dreams.

Let me re-emphasise our commitment to ensure that your years of service to Lagos are adequately rewarded upon retirement. You must ensure that you have complied with all the requirements of our Pension Scheme. We are proactive on discharging our obligation with the setting up of the Pension Commission and the payment of our own contribution.

Let me use this opportunity to, once again, express my appreciation to the entire Public Servants in Lagos State for your unflinching support for our administration and, also, congratulate you for the successful 2009 Public Service Week for which I have been told series of interactive activities were lined up and the enthusiastic participation of different categories of Public Servants in all events.

I pray that the gains derivable from the celebration of the 2009 Public Service Week will translate to better results for the Service as a whole and the collective good of our people whom we have pledged to serve.

Thank you for your attention and God bless.

Eko O Ni Baje O!

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Executive Governor,
Lagos State