Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has blamed most of the challenges rocking the country on the dearth of ethical and effective leadership at the level of civil and public services.
The governor, who stated this at the 2024 Theophilus Akinyele Memorial Symposium themed, “Reinventing Leadership and Ethics in Public Service,” in Ibadan, said his administration would continue to advocate ethical and effective leadership in the civil, public service of the state.
He lauded the late former head of service/secretary to the state government, Pa Theophilus Akinyele, for his service to the state and the nation, noting that he and his contemporaries, who joined the civil, public service at the time, were the best of the best and showed dedication to the country.
Makinde added that his decision to prioritise the welfare of workers through the prompt payment of salaries on 25th of every month and other measures had helped in reinventing and creating stability for workers in the state and also led to positive changes in their attitude to work.
He said, “The issue of ethical and effective leadership in the civil/public service is a topical one. During Baba Akinyele’s time, the best of the best joined the Civil Service and they were well paid.
“They were dedicated until Nigeria happened to us and the country threw away the baby with the bath water. Yes, we had issues; oil prices crashed and the economy was not going well and we should not have been in that position in the first place.
“Before now, without oil money, they built Cocoa House, the first TV station in Africa and implemented free education.
“Farm settlements were being set up then. We are just trying to fix Fasola and Eruwa Farm Settlements to diversify the economy of Oyo State, but some people had the dream before now because the best of the best were coming to work in the civil service.
“The people that showed dedication to the country were left hanging. As soon as we hit economic turbulence, they were the first to go. So, how do you now convince the people coming behind to show dedication?
“I believe that we need to take a step; over-depending on oil money will not take us beyond what we are seeing right now. So, we need to attract the best of our best to come to the civil service.”
