Oyebanji Reaffirms Commitment to Welfare of Public Servants, Retirees.
…as Ekiti Hosts 12th South West Quarterly Meeting of Retired Heads of Service, Permanent Secretaries.
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving the welfare of serving public servants and retirees, stressing that the contributions of the public service remain critical to effective governance and sustainable development.
Oyebanji reiterated the commitment while addressing the 12th Quarterly General Meeting of the Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries of the South-West Nigeria (ARHOSPS-SWN) held in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday.
The meeting, hosted by the Ekiti State chapter of the association at its Secretariat and Relaxation Centre in Ado-Ekiti, brought together retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries from Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo States, alongside some serving Permanent Secretaries in Ekiti State Civil Service.
The Governor, who was represented at the meeting by the State Head of Service, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi, said his administration remained committed to strengthening public institutions and improving the welfare of retirees, while recognising the wealth of experience and institutional knowledge acquired by retired senior public servants in the course of their years of service.
Oyebanji disclosed that ₦250 million is being set aside monthly to address gratuity arrears, while substantial payments had been made towards pension and gratuity obligations at both the state and local government levels.
He stated that Ekiti was among the first states to implement the N70,000 minimum wage, while the government had also approved and paid a ₦20,000 across-board increment for retirees.
Beyond pensions and gratuities, Oyebanji highlighted his administration's wider programmes covering infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, education, youth development, job creation, tourism and industrialisation.
The Governor said strengthening these sectors was part of the broader effort to create an environment in which both serving workers and retirees could benefit from improved public services and economic opportunities.
In her goodwill message, the State’s Head of Service, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi appreciated the retired senior officers for their years of service, describing them as custodians of valuable knowledge, experience and institutional memory.
Olomojobi, whose goodwill message was delivered by the Permanent Secretary in the Deputy Governor’s Office, Mr. Adeleke Adefolaju, urged them to continue mentoring serving officers and to document their experiences through memoirs, professional papers and biographies for the benefit of present and future generations.
The Southwest Regional President of the Association, Mr Demola Badejo, presented a report on his administration's first 365 days in office, x-raying a seven-point agenda covering media visibility, the O'DUA House Initiative, strategic partnerships, mobilisation and inclusion, relationship building, patronage and funding, as well as advocacy and engagement with government.
Welcoming delegates to the meeting, the President of the Ekiti State Chapter of the Association, Mr Oluwole Ariyo, described Ekiti as a state to watch in the South-West, citing developments in tourism, infrastructure, education and healthcare.
He attributed the state's progress to what he described as the Governor's accountability and prudent management of public resources.
Ariyo also commended the Governor for generously supporting the successful hosting of the regional meeting . He further appealed to the Governor, public-spirited individuals and other stakeholders to support the completion of the association's Secretariat project in Ado-Ekiti.
The meeting equally featured a keynote address titled “The Doctrine of Neutrality, Impartiality and Anonymity,” delivered on behalf of Elder S.O. Bankole by retired Permanent Secretary, Mr Kunle Olofin.
The address stressed the importance of neutrality and impartiality in the public service and urged public officers to provide political leaders with objective and honest advice in the interest of good governance.