A 10-day onboarding program for recently hired civil and public servants was launched by Edo State Governor Mr. Godwin Obaseki on Thursday, January 26, 2023. This program is part of the ongoing reforms to reposition and strengthen the State’s public service for optimal delivery.
In his speech at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), Obaseki congratulated the new hires on their skill in winning the recent hiring process and assured them that his administration will continue to place a high priority on a merit-based hiring process that guarantees integrity, openness, and high-quality service delivery.
Obaseki said, “It is a real pleasure to be a part of your onboarding program this morning. The first thing you should do when joining the civil service should be to work with you to understand the expectations and how you should conduct yourself and complete your work.
“The Head of Service was quite charitable in his opening remarks, but he made some very salient points. First, every one of you here was recruited on the basis of merit. Like everyone else, I, Godwin Obaseki, the governor of Edo State, saw the advertisement and simply observed the proceedings. A few people tried to call me to ask me favours, but I said no, we don’t do that in Edo anymore”.
“Ask the person you know who is looking for work to apply; if they meet the requirements, they will be given the position. But it is not fair, it is not right, and it’s not good for the system when we do not have an objective basis, or objective criteria to bring people into the service.
“I hear people complain—some of my political colleagues, for example—that they are hiring but not providing them with any funding. Well, that will not happen in Edo State as long as I am the governor.”
The capacity and effectiveness of a country’s civil and public institutions are crucial to its success, as stated by Obaseki, who also expressed his unwavering commitment to the ongoing transformation and improvement of Edo’s civil and public service institutions.
He claims that one of Nigeria’s biggest problems and the cause of its failures in economic development has been the absence of reputable, wholesome, and high-quality institutions.
He stated: “And the reason we are insistent on making sure the best people enter the civil service is not just because this is the case everywhere else in the world; rather, there is a reason to be aware of when a State, a country, or a system is failing.
“We all sit down and lament and complain about Nigeria, there is a reason why Nigeria does not work. The nation and its political system are unable to function when the essential government organs, notably the civil service, are unable to function.”
Obaseki went on to say, “The failure of Nigeria’s public services, at the federal, state, and local levels, is the reason it is not functioning.
“In the United Kingdom, last year, how many times did they change their prime minister? Three times, but did the country stop working? No. why? Because its civil service kept on running. That is how our system in Nigeria was designed”.
Mr. Obaseki urged the recently enlisted soldiers to fulfill their responsibilities with diligence, diligence, and honesty, committing themselves to serving God and no man.
He said: “First, because you earned this appointment based on merit, please note that your responsibility is to God and your people. Not to any man. So, if anybody says; do something that you know is not right, don’t do it. Let them sack you even if they threaten to, but resist the urge to sack.
“Whatever is not in the interest of the people and unfavourable to God, don’t do it. You may experience short-term difficulties, but you will overcome them in the end. Don’t be intimidated as long as you are doing the right thing.” he concluded.
