Press Releases

10 New Perm Secs Sworn-In In Lagos

Jul 5, 2010 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Monday presided over the swearing- in of 10 new Permanent Secretaries appointed into the State Public Service with a charge that they must see their appointment into office as a public trust for the whole State.

Governor Fashola who spoke at the Executive Council Chambers of the Lagos House, Ikeja added that they should not see the appointment as a call to serve family, constituency or Local Government interests.

He added that the present administration is driven by the provision of the highest possible standards which will enable the people get quality service from all the agencies of government.

The Governor explained that members of the State Executive Council as the decision makers only represent birds of passage while the Permanent Secretaries as career civil servants who will spend at least 35 years in service would be responsible for implementing them.

He reminded them that if the State and its policies work well, the Permanent Secretaries should consider themselves responsible adding that in whatever shape they mould the society at large, they will meet same when they leave public service.

Governor Fashola added that out of 207 qualified officers who sat for the examination for appointment as Permanent Secretaries and given the limited vacancies, only the very best 10 are being sworn in.

Said he: "We adopted this technique because we belief that the very essence of the society is about promoting competition and it is from competition that we can generate growth and from growth we can increase productivity".

He described the government as a big public corporation which must give the highest possible standard that the public it serves expects, adding that the public sector operates for the private sector in all its ramification.

The Lagos State Governor explained that the government produces goods and services like roads, water supply, education, healthcare whose profitability can be measured in terms of improved quality and standard of living of the people.

Governor Fashola also said in recognition of the numerous challenges which the State Government faces in the educational sector, adequate attention is being given to the sector just as two Tutors-General are in the list of the 10 newly appointed Permanent Secretaries.

The Governor said Government has also worked towards ensuring that teachers' rewards should no longer be in heaven but here on earth by ensuring that they reach the highest possible level in public service.

Governor Fashola commended the committee of the Executive Council which screened the nominees for a job well done, adding that going by the level of general acceptability of the new appointees since they were named it was a job well done.

The new Permanent Secretaries sworn in include, Mr Frederick Odujoko, Mr. Lateef Abari, Mrs Eniola Yonwuren, Mrs Regina Obasa, Mrs Olabowale Ademola, Engineer Olatunde Olokunola, Engineer (Mrs) Fausat Masha, Engineer Babatunde Oshodi, while Mrs Victoria Peregrino and Mrs Foluso Ogunlana were sworn in as Tutors- General and Permanent Secretaries.

The new Permanent Secretaries had earlier been introduced to all the members of the Executive Council and the families of the new appointees who witnessed the event by the Head of Service, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe.