Zainab Abioye
The Ogun State Head of Service, Mr. Iskeel Saka, has pledged to work closely with retired senior civil servants to strengthen the state’s public service and improve administrative efficiency.
Saka made the pledge while receiving members of the Retired Civil Service Administrative Officers Forum, who paid him a congratulatory visit in Abeokuta.
According to a statement made available on Tuesday, the Head of Service described it as a privilege to host an association comprising former Heads of Service, Permanent Secretaries and seasoned Directors, saying their wealth of experience remained invaluable to the growth and transformation of the state’s civil service.
He commended members of the forum for their immense contributions to the development of the Ogun State Civil Service, noting that Administrative Officers had, over the years, played pivotal roles in shaping policies, strengthening institutions and sustaining professionalism within the service.
Saka assured the retired administrators that his office would sustain regular consultations and strategic engagements with the forum as part of efforts to reposition the civil service for greater efficiency, professionalism and improved service delivery.
He also reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting the association, expressing confidence that the relatively young forum would continue to grow into a strong platform capable of contributing meaningfully to public sector reforms.
The Head of Service stressed that his administration would continue to leverage the vast experience, institutional memory and expertise of retired administrators in driving reforms aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and responsiveness of the Ogun State Civil Service.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Retired Civil Service Administrative Officers Forum, Alhaji Sefiu A. Rasheed, said the visit was to congratulate Saka on what he described as his well-deserved appointment as Head of Service.
Rasheed, who spoke on behalf of the Chairman of the forum’s Board of Trustees, Elder Sola Adeyemi, mni, and other members, described Saka’s appointment as another recognition of the Administrative Officers’ Cadre, which he said had historically remained the fulcrum of the civil service administrative structure.
According to him, the forum was optimistic that Saka’s tenure would be successful, citing his track record as an accomplished Administrative Officer, former Permanent Secretary and alumnus of the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies.
“As retired Administrative Officers, your success is our success. We stand ready to collaborate with your office, whenever required, to improve and strengthen the human and material capacities of the Ogun State Civil Service. Our wealth of experience remains at your disposal for the growth of the service we all cherish,” Rasheed said.
The forum also appealed to the Head of Service to sustain the support earlier extended by his predecessor, revealing that the association currently operates from a temporary office at the former headquarters of the Bureau of Electrical Engineering Services, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta.
Rasheed disclosed that the forum was processing the allocation of land around the President Buhari Estate along Kobape Road for its proposed permanent secretariat and appealed for the Head of Service’s goodwill and support to actualise the project.
He added that the association would continue to engage the Office of the Head of Service through appropriate channels on issues affecting the forum and the development of the state’s public service.
The forum congratulated Saka on his appointment and expressed confidence that his tenure would further strengthen the Ogun State Civil Service while fostering closer collaboration between serving and retired administrators.
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