Speeches

Inaguaration Service Of The New Head Of Service, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe

May 24, 2010 - In my valedictory speech of the immediate past Head of Service, I dwelt on the progress that we have made since 1999 with our choices of Heads of Service and their various contributions when I said that each of them have helped to restore the glory of the public service in their unique and various ways.

One of such progress highlights is that every time there has been a vacancy, there has always been more than one competent candidate.

It creates a problem for the appointing authority. But I dare say that it is a good problem to have in a country that is crying out for leadership, Lagos seems to be spoilt for choice.

True to its appellation, that the Office of Head of Service is one of a first among equals, I have had the privilege of choosing a first among equal contending Permanent Secretaries who were eligible to lead the Service, and I am very proud to say that during the intervening period that ensued between Friday, the 14th of May, 2010 when Alhaji Yakub Balogun left office and Friday, the 21st May, 2010 when I announced the appointment of Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe, none of the eligible candidates to my knowledge tried to influence the process of the appointment.

I had cause to occasionally meet some of them to discuss other pressing matters of State, and to their credit, they never alluded to the subject. They were extremely and admirably professional.

I am extremely proud to be the leader of a Government that is comprised of such men and women of high integrity who believe in the institution they have built and are confident in its ability to work for them.

This is the institution of public service that our new Head of Service inherits and whose lofty ideals and glorious legacies we expect him to keep aloft and improve upon.

On behalf of the Government and people of Lagos, please accept our hearty congratulations for the monumental privilege that this office offers and our best wishes for discharging the enormous responsibilities that attend it, successfully.

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Governor of Lagos State