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Fashola cautions new permanent secretaries against corruptn, partisanship

By Wole Oyebade
09 March 2015   |   11:00 pm
LAGOS   tate Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has warned the newly appointed permanent secretaries in the state civil service against corrupt practices and partisanship in the discharge of their duties.   Fashola, who sounded the note of warning after administering the oaths of office and of secrecy on the 12 permanent secretaries, said the state…

LAGOS   tate Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has warned the newly appointed permanent secretaries in the state civil service against corrupt practices and partisanship in the discharge of their duties.

  Fashola, who sounded the note of warning after administering the oaths of office and of secrecy on the 12 permanent secretaries, said the state would not condone any of those vices that infringe on fair service to the public.

  The governor also appealed to family and friends of the permanent secretaries not to mount undue pressure that could lure the appointees into corrupt practices.

     He said the call to public service must never be seen as a means to benefit self, friends and family members at the expense of the generality of the people.

  The new appointees are: Engr Deji Adenekan (Works), Joseph Adediran (Physical Planning and Urban Development), Dr. Longe Jemilade (Ministry of Health), Ogunmola Modinat, Ebunola Oladimeji, Arch Dipe Adedayo (Housing) and Folashade Onabolu (Education).

     Others are Salami Mabayoje, Sanusi Adewole, Soname Abosede, Umar Sukura, Ogunnaike Oluwatosin (Women Affairs). The 12 were appointed from 50 senior officers that participated in an examination and keenly contested interview session.

  Fashola stressed that their appointment into the league of permanent secretaries was not actually a promotion but a call to leadership in their various ministries.

  He said, “Let me be very clear that this is not a promotion, it’s an appointment to lead. It’s a call to leadership. It is a very important call to leadership at a time when our society, our communities, our nation and indeed the world face a serious leadership challenge.

  “You will be expected to provide leadership in the various ministries that you will lead. As accounting officers, you are expected to have a firm grip of those ministries, departments and agencies that respond and report to you.”

  Continuing, he said: ““If you look at the definition of corruption, it is not just an illegal act for pecuniary purpose; it is also gaining undeserved and undue advantage. And these are things that you must avoid; you must avoid partisanship because if I did not avoid them you probably would not be standing here.

  “We have acted on merit and you must treat people on merit and on the basis of fairness and for me this is where friends, family and relations come in. Yes, your relation has become a Permanent Secretary but it is not a family trophy. It is not for personal but for public service. And this is the first thing I would advise, do not help make an already difficult job more difficult. Do not put needless pressure on them and do not have unrealistic expectation of things that they can do.

  “They are managers of a public trust and we expect them to do so in accordance with well laid down regulations, civil service regulations, financial guidelines etc. They would need your support; they would need your prayers. What they would not need from you is pressure for them to give you an advantage,” Fashola said.

 The governor urged them to reciprocate the gesture they themselves had enjoyed, noting that the Civil Service in Lagos State had been eradicating nepotism in public service which according to him has made the State Civil Service a role model in Nigeria.

  The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and Culture, Grace Oladimeji who spoke on behalf of other appointees pledged to live by the oaths already taken to ensure fairness in the discharge of their duty.

  Oladimeji assured that the appointees would continue to sustain the bar of service already raised by the government and even consolidate on it.

  “The oath of office we have taken, I want to assure you that we are going to take it seriously and one of the things there is that we are going to place public interest far above personal interest,” Oladimeji said.

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