Civil servants have been advised to prioritise maintaining confidentiality and adhering to ethical standards.
A former head of service in Delta State, Sir Okey Ofili, stated this at the weekend during a public lecture held to mark the retirement and valedictory session of Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje, permanent secretary, Directorate of Government House and Protocol in Asaba, Delta State.
While delivering the retirement valedictory lecture titled, “A Consummate Civil Servant Who Came, Saw, Conquered And Finished Strong, Hands Over The Baton Of Leadership,” he stated that Ogidi-Gbegbaje had been a champion of good governance.
“His journey through the civil service had been marked with great accomplishments. I wish him well in his future endeavours in life and prayed God to grant him good health and long life,” he said.
Ogidi-Gbegbaje in his speech to committee of friends, admirers, and mentees who organised the event, emphasised the importance of civil servants conducting themselves with a high level of integrity, avoiding conflicts of interest, and consistently treating all individuals fairly and impartially.
He stressed the necessity for civil servants to remain neutral in upholding the rules and regulations of the service and to be seen but not heard.
He expressed gratitude to all of his superiors and higher-ups throughout his time as a junior administrative officer in the former Bendel State Civil Service, spanning from 1989 till after 35 years of dedicated service which ended January 3rd, 2024 in Asaba, Delta State.
Ogidi-Gbegbaje, who was full of gratitude to God for the opportunity given to him serve and retire from service in good health said, “There is need for the service to encourage officers through training (both in-house and outside) so as to give them the unique opportunity to contribute their quota to the growth of the service.”
“Civil servants should take charge and be accountable for their actions. I am leaving a legacy for delegation of duty, conviviality and intelligent officers. When spurred more through training and re-training programmes, the service would do better,” Ogidi-Gbegbaje advised.
Earlier, Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, had advised civil servants not put needless pressure on those in positions of authority to get appointments or be promoted, stressing that in due season, based on their performance, they would be duly recognized.
