CIVIL SERVANTS DETERMINE GOVT'S SUCCESS

Civil servants determine govt’s success – HoS

The outgoing Lagos State Head of Service, Mrs Folashade Jaji, says the success or failure of any government is determined mainly by the civil servants.

Jaji said this at a ceremony held in her honour to mark her retirement, according to a statement on Tuesday.

She explained that her early exposure to policy development and decision making process was quite significant as it contributed in no small way to her career development in the service, adding that sound knowledge and determination are major determinants of one’s career success or failure.

Jaji, who is the 18th HoS, said public service remained the engine room for good governance as it is the major channel of assisting political office holders to achieve their objectives of effective and qualitative governance.

Also speaking, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, said recent reforms witnessed by the Lagos State Public Service were aimed at repositioning it to meet the needs of a teeming population of an emerging megacity and strengthening it to compete with its foreign counterparts.

Ambode, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Oluranti Adebule, said an efficient public service was necessary for good governance

He promised that his administration would continue to welcome initiatives and lofty reforms that would promote rapid socio-economic development through a proactive public service.

While commending the retiring HoS for bringing a lot of innovations and developments to the service, the governor said the people and government of Lagos State would continue to remember her tenure for the successful completion of the various service reforms initiated by her predecessors

Governor Ambode specifically commended the retiree for the publication of a new public service rule guide book and the seamless transition from the general administration practice to the administration and human resources management, adding that with these two major reforms, the Lagos State Public Service had been professionally repositioned and aligned with the best global practice anywhere in the world.

While acknowledging the greater role public servants had to perform in achieving good governance, the governor noted that the state public service was a repository of knowledge for good governance.