Tinubu, Jonathan, Diri, Dickson, Abah Celebrate Walson-Jack’s 34 Years Of Service, Legacy

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former President Goodluck Jonathan, Bayelsa State governor Douye Diri, former Bayelsa State governor Seriake Dickson and former director-general of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dr Joe Abah, have celebrated the head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, describing her 34-year career as a remarkable example of integrity, institutional leadership and purposeful public service.

The dignitaries spoke yesterday in Abuja at the presentation of Walson-Jack’s two books, Beyond the Mandate and I Planted: The Journey of Principal Service, held as part of activities marking her retirement from public service and 60th birthday.

The event, held at the Ladi Kwali Hall of the Abuja Continental Hotel, attracted senior political leaders, public servants, members of the diplomatic and development communities, academics, private sector stakeholders, family members and friends.

President Tinubu, who was represented by the minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh (SAN), described Walson-Jack’s career as a testament to purposeful service, institutional leadership and conscious legacy-building.

He said her progression through the state and federal civil services to the position of Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had earned her a significant place in Nigeria’s public administration history.
According to him, the occasion went beyond the presentation of two books, as it celebrated “a life of purposeful service, a career of institutional leadership, and a legacy being consciously built in the service of our nation.”

Tinubu said Walson-Jack had demonstrated that public service was not merely about what an individual achieved while in office but also about what they left behind for succeeding generations.

He said his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda required a professional, competent, ethical, innovative and citizen-centred public service capable of translating government policies into tangible results.

The President stressed that the civil service remained indispensable to national development because of its permanence, continuity, professionalism and institutional stability.

“Governments may change. Political leadership may change. Policies may evolve, but the machinery of government must retain the institutional memory, technical competence and discipline required to sustain the Nigerian state,” he said.

Tinubu described Walson-Jack as a reformer who understood the need for the civil service to evolve in response to the changing demands of Nigeria and the wider world.

He said her tenure had contributed to strengthening institutional continuity, technical expertise and the discipline required to translate government policies into implementable action.

The President said the administration’s civil service reforms were aimed at moving the system from routine administration to purposeful delivery, from activities to outcomes and from process-driven systems to mechanisms that provide better value to citizens.

He cited the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 and its successor, the 2026-2030 strategy, as key components of the reform programme.

He also highlighted the digital transformation of the service, including the integration of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) with the Human Resource Management System (HRMS), saying the initiative would strengthen payroll integrity, improve human resource management and enhance accountability.

Tinubu urged the civil service to extend the reforms across the wider public sector, stressing that digitalization must remain a priority in building a modern, efficient and citizen-focused government.

“Our objective must be clear: a public service that is professional, competent, ethical, accountable, performance-driven and responsive to the needs of Nigerians,” he said.

Reflecting on the two books, Tinubu said I Planted represented a willingness to nurture ideas, values, and institutions whose benefits might not be immediately enjoyed by those who established them, while Beyond the Mandate represented leadership that went beyond the minimum requirements of office.

“Holding office is temporary. Institutions endure. Titles come and go. What remains is the impact we make, the people we develop, the institutions we strengthen and the values we leave behind,” he said.

Tinubu said public servants should ask not only what they had achieved personally but what they had enabled others to achieve after them.

He commended the administration’s move towards outcome-based governance, including the requirement that ministers regularly report on progress in implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“As we build a more prosperous and inclusive Nigeria, we need a civil service that is not only capable of administering government, but capable of delivering results,” he said.

The President congratulated Walson-Jack for documenting her experiences and lessons for future generations, saying the books served as a reminder that every properly implemented policy, strengthened institution, mentored officer, efficient process and resolved problem contributed to national transformation.

Jonathan: Walson-Jack’s Appointment Historic for Bayelsa

Former President Goodluck Jonathan described Walson-Jack’s appointment as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation as a historic achievement for Bayelsa State.

Jonathan thanked President Tinubu for appointing Walson-Jack, noting that she became the first Bayelsan to occupy the nation’s top civil service position.

“First, let me join Dickson and my governor to thank Mr President and convey appreciation to him for appointing our daughter, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation,” he said.

“That appointment makes her the first Bayelsan to hold that office. I don’t know when we will get the next one, because you have only one Head of Service of the Federation at a time, and it is not that you rotate the office. There is a lot of merit required.”

Jonathan described the occasion as a “triplet” celebration, combining Walson-Jack’s 60th birthday, her retirement after 34 years of service and the presentation of her books.

He recalled Walson-Jack’s transition from the Bayelsa State Civil Service to the Federal Civil Service, noting that her initial placement as an assistant director could have discouraged her.

According to him, he encouraged her to accept the position because the Federal Civil Service offered greater opportunities.

“When Walson-Jack’s matter came up, and she was given assistant director, I expected a similar thing. But I encouraged her. I told her, “Come over as assistant director. You will not regret it,” Jonathan recalled.

He said her subsequent rise to the highest level of Nigeria’s civil service demonstrated the value of perseverance, competence and integrity.

Jonathan also praised Walson-Jack’s husband for supporting her decision to relocate from Rivers State to Yenagoa following the creation of Bayelsa State in 1996.

He said many civil servants were reluctant to move to Yenagoa at the time because of limited infrastructure, but Walson-Jack made the sacrifice and helped build the new state.

The former President urged political leaders to prioritise competence and character in making appointments.

“Every nation, every state, even institutions like the civil service, if integrity and merit are not considered, especially in leadership, then you cannot go anywhere. You must use the right people for the right thing,” he said.

Diri: She Planted, Watered and Harvested

Governor Diri described Walson-Jack’s retirement as a celebration of a life of service, commitment and enduring legacy.

He said the occasion provided an opportunity to celebrate “a life well lived, a legacy still being renowned, and a harvest still being gathered.”

Diri thanked President Tinubu for appointing Walson-Jack as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, describing the appointment as a source of pride to Bayelsa State and Nigeria.

Drawing from the Bible, he likened her career to the process of planting, watering and harvesting.

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. Didi Walson-Jack planted the seed that God watered, and God has seen her through from Bayelsa to the pinnacle of the Federal Civil Service,” he said.

The governor described I Planted as a reflection of Walson-Jack’s personality—”measured, graceful, principled and deeply rooted”—and said it captured the sacrifices and discipline required for effective public service.

He said the memoir was not merely a personal account but an important archive of institutional development and the contributions of individuals who often worked behind the scenes.

Diri praised Walson-Jack for documenting her 34 years in public service, describing the effort as an act of patriotism that would preserve institutional memory for future generations.

“In an age of tweets and sarcastic messages, this act of documenting is itself a meaningful act of patriotism. She has preserved institutional memory and given the civil service a mirror,” he said.

The governor added, “Bayelsans are proud of you. You are planted in Rivers State. You are planted in Bayelsa State. You watered in Abuja, and God gave the increase.”

Former Bayelsa State Governor and National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, said Walson-Jack’s professionalism and attention to detail played a significant role in protecting his reputation and career.

Dickson recalled working closely with her when he served as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Bayelsa State, describing her as one of the officials who helped him understand the administrative demands of government.

“I was completely strange to office administration and management. But it was Didi Walson-Jack who had the duty of putting me through how to give administrative leadership to the ministry as Attorney-General,” he said.

He said several reforms implemented in the Ministry of Justice during his tenure were the result of consultations and professional contributions by Walson-Jack and other officials.

Dickson also credited her with helping to strengthen the legal workforce in Bayelsa State and improve case prosecution.

He said her attention to detail became particularly important during a period of political controversy and investigation.

“If you read the books, you will see how Didi Walson-Jack’s attention to detail and sense of professionalism saved my name, my image and my career, by the grace of God,” he said.

Dickson commended successive political leaders, including former President Jonathan and former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva, for recognising Walson-Jack’s competence and providing opportunities for her career advancement.

He said the title I Planted was appropriate because Walson-Jack’s career had been characterised by institution-building, mentoring, and public-sector reforms.

Dickson congratulated her on her birthday and retirement, describing her as a dependable public servant whose years of service deserved recognition.

Abah: Books Provide Rare Insight Into Nigerian Governance

Former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dr Joe Abah, described the two books as rare contributions to understanding how Nigerian public institutions are built, strengthened, damaged, rebuilt and sustained.

Abah said the memoirs went beyond personal narratives to offer lessons on leadership, bureaucracy, integrity, and public-sector transformation.

He noted that while many memoirs by public officials were used to settle scores or showcase personal achievements, Walson-Jack’s books offered a different perspective by focusing on the human and institutional dimensions of governance.

He described I Planted as the story of a public servant who rose from the lower ranks of the Rivers State Civil Service to become Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

According to him, the book also provided an insider’s perspective on how government operates at different levels and demonstrated how professionalism, resilience and integrity could produce lasting institutional impact.

Abah said Beyond the Mandate captured Walson-Jack’s transition from Bayelsa State public service into the Federal Civil Service and the bureaucratic challenges she encountered along the way.

He noted that some of her experiences with administrative bottlenecks and missing documentation influenced her later commitment to digital transformation and to reforms aimed at reducing government inefficiency.

Abah concluded that the two books were simultaneously memoirs, institutional histories, leadership guides, governance case studies and testimonies to the transformative power of purposeful public service.

The event ended with tributes to Walson-Jack’s career, with speakers expressing confidence that the institutions she helped strengthen, the officers she mentored and the reforms she championed would remain part of her enduring legacy in Nigeria’s public administration.