The Chairman of the Oyo State Local Government Service Commission (LGSC), Bashorun Akinwale Solomon Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, has pledged to engage retired Permanent Secretaries to strengthen capacity building and professional development in the local government service.
Akinwole made the pledge during a meritorious service celebration held at the Local Government Staff Training School Hall, Local Government House, Secretariat, Ibadan, in honour of four retired Permanent Secretaries who served in the local government sector.
The retirees are Mr Thomas Oladele Oguntona from Ogbomoso Zone; Dr Adedapo Olumuyiwa Atoyebi from Ibadan Zone II; Dr (Mrs) Kafilat Adefunke Hamzat from Ibarapa Zone; and Alhaji Busari Adekunle Amusat from Oke-Ogun Zone I.
In a statement by the Director of Education and Social Services, Mrs Funke Foluso Lala, the LGSC chairman described retirement as a new beginning that offers opportunities to serve humanity in other capacities, including as trainers, mentors, consultants, community leaders and elder statesmen.
He commended the retirees for their contributions to public administration, describing them as experienced professionals who upheld the ethics of the civil service and provided sound, impartial advice to government.
According to him, their commitment to professionalism, integrity, diligence and institutional continuity has helped shape the local government service and develop successive generations of public servants.
“The Commission will continue to draw from your well of experience. We will give you work to do and we promise to empower you for whatever engagements, especially in training and retraining the workforce,” Akinwole said.
He urged serving officers to emulate the retirees’ dedication, integrity and professionalism, stressing that hard work and honesty remained important values in public service.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Commission, Pastor Adeola Omoyeni Oduola, said the celebration was organised to recognise the retirees’ years of dedicated service, sacrifice, professionalism and contributions to the development of Oyo State.
Oduola noted that the office of Permanent Secretary required competence, integrity, sound judgment, patience, courage and an enduring commitment to public service.
He encouraged the retirees to embrace the opportunities retirement offers for spending time with their families, pursuing personal interests, reflecting on their careers and continuing to contribute to society in other capacities.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr Akin Funmilayo, who also retired from the Commission as a Permanent Secretary; Chairman of the Oyo State Local Government Staff Pension Board, Hon. (Chief) Akeem Ademola Ige; President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Oyo State Chapter, Comrade Ayobami Adeogun; Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Local Government Administration in Oyo State, Alhaji Marouf Owolabi; and the immediate past Permanent Secretary of the Commission, Deacon Taiwo Adewale.
The event was attended by members of the Commission’s board, including Alhaji Yussuf Alli, Hon. Taiwo Oke and Mrs Nike Arewa, as well as serving and retired Permanent Secretaries, directors in the local government service, NULGE state executives, management and staff of the Commission, and family members and friends of the celebrants.
