The Lagos State Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, has commended the State Civil Service Commission for organising a three-day sensitisation programme tagged: “Career Week Programme” for Permanent Secretaries, Directors of Human Resource and Administration, and Schedule officers in the Administrative and Human Resource Directorates in the State Public Service.
Declaring the Career Week Programme open, the HoS said the first-of-its-kind event with the theme “Developing the State Workforce Towards a Fulfilling Career in the Public Service”, was designed to bridge observed gaps in Human Resource Management and build the capacity of officers for enhanced productivity.
Muri-Okunola, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Public Service Office, Mr. Samson Ajibade, noted that the Career Week signified a distinct milestone in the State Government’s efforts at continuous sensitisation of its workforce on salient issues necessary to maintain a vibrant and virile Public Service.
In her welcome address at the event held at the Adeyemi-Bero Auditorium at Alausa Ikeja, the Chairman, Lagos State Civil Service Commission, Mrs. Olubunmi Fabamwo, said that the Commission has continued to focus its activities on creating a competent and motivated workforce that is disciplined and productive.
She noted that since the inauguration of the present Commission Members, a number of innovative programmes and activities have been introduced, stating that the “Career Week Programme” is another initiative introduced following a keen observation of requirements for a more virile public service.
The Chairman informed that the programme was designed to sensitise and enlighten Civil/Public Servants on the ground rules, regulations, processes and procedures that guide their career management and development.
Mrs. Fabamwo maintained that the programme would enable public servants, being the ‘Engine Room’ of Government, to step-up performance for more effective and impactful service delivery.
She thanked the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for his constant support to the Civil Service Commission, which is a statutory body in every State of the Federation with clearly defined roles enshrined in the Constitution.
In his Goodwill Message, the Honourable Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Establishments, Training and Pensions, Mr. Yinka Ogundimu, restated the support of the House of Assembly for initiatives that would help engender a virile and efficient Public Service.
While commending the initiative, the Lawmaker underscored the need for the Commission to ensure adequate dissemination of information about its activities that affect every civil servant.
He implored the leadership of the Commission not to limit the programme to top Government officials and senior officers alone but expand its reach to staff in the middle and lower level grades in order to enlighten them and build their capacity.
On her part, the Permanent Secretary, Civil Service Commission, Mrs. Boladele Dapo-Thomas, said the programme was initially proposed for last year but could not hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While charging participants to take advantage of the programme, she informed that the Commission observed a seeming dearth of deep knowledge and understanding of the Public Service Rules, Schemes of Service and Extant Provisions that regulate the Human Resource ecosystem of the service by most Civil/Public Servants.
The Permanent Secretary also gave an assurance that the programme would be sustained as an annual event, adding that the next edition would be expanded to accommodate more employees of the Lagos State Government.
