Edo State Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, has reassured the state residents that Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration would bequeath the state a virile public and civil service for effective service delivery.
Idahosa noted that the Okpebholo-led administration had continued to harness and tap from the experiences and knowledge of the Forum of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries to refocus and rejig the state’s bureaucracy.
Idahosa stated this in a press statement on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Friday Aghedo.
The deputy governor gave the assurance while playing host to members of the Forum who paid him a courtesy call in Benin on Tuesday. He described members of the forum as a think tank and fountain of knowledge, whose professional acumen was needed to stimulate, enhance and enthrone effectiveness and efficiency in the system.
While commending members of the Forum for their meritorious and unblemished service to the state, he stressed that the legacies they left behind remained reference pictures when reviewing the contribution of civil and public service in evaluating the Gross Domestic Product of the state.
He said, “On behalf of the Government and the governor of Edo State, be assured that we will continue to tap from your wealth of experience, to strengthen the civil and public service, and other critical institutions saddled with the responsibility of building a vibrant state economy,” he said.
Chairman of the Forum, Usi Osemwowa, said the visit was to identify with the governor and his deputy in their victory at the elections petition tribunal and establish a strong bond of relationship with the administration.
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The Forum, according to him, was formed in 2018, with few members, but had witnessed steady growth to more than 128 active members, fostering unity and cohesion.
He noted that this year’s annual luncheon of the Forum, scheduled for the end of April, would feature a public health lecture on arthritis, prevention, and drugs to mitigate the ailments.
Osemwowa said the Forum, made up of seasoned administrators and technocrats, was determined to assist the government in promoting good governance and stimulating the growth of the state economy.
Present during the visit was the first Surveyor General in the defunct Mid-West Region, Sir S. J. Ojeikere, former Head of Service and Chairman, Civil Service Commission, Princess Ekiuwa Inneh, Prof. Johnson Egonmwan, and Prince M. M Ogedengbe, who is the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Forum.
