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From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
The Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has charged the newly sworn-in cabinet members to see their appointments as a call to service.
The Governor urged them to hit the ground running in their respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies( MDAs) saying they must be committed to deliver on the six point agenda of his administration.
The Governor made the remarks on Thursday, in Ado-Ekiti, at the opening session of a three- day retreat organised for Commissioners, Special Advisers, Permanent Secretaries, General Managers and Executive Secretaries in the state.
The Governor stressed the need for the new appointees to work together, saying “we are all here to learn from one another and to engage our collective aspiration of taking Ekiti to the next level through the prosperity mandate that we were given.
He noted that the theme of the retreat – ‘Share Prosperity: From Promise to Reality’ was very timely and apt.
” We campaigned on a six point agenda which has now crystallised into Six Pillars of Administration. So, we will be diving down into the Pillars for us to have a clear idea of our development objectives, strategies and performance evaluation.”
The Governor, who raised some posers to the new cabinet members said, “let me throw these challenge at you as we go ahead in this journey: (i) What can you do to make this administration outstanding? (ii) What gaps can you fill to make the difference and what fresh ideas can you bring on the table for the realisation of our collective goals?
“These posers summarise the reasons for this assembly, it is to grant us the opportunity to collectively ideate on our vision and objectives, create ideas and strategy for their actualisation and generate the necessary capabilities to realise them.
“Besides the broader issues of vision, programme and policies, the coursework of this workshop, I am sure will include the grandeur and trivial aspects of work and public life. You will be enlightened about reporting channels, officialese, public service idiosyncrasies, rules and procedures, enabling laws, peer-review, budgeting finesse, teamwork, corporate governance ethics, principle of collective responsibility, intra and inter-governmental cooperation, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, development partnership, public finance and accountability, among other aspects that can enhance our knowledge of the totality of the work environment.
” In addition, this retreat will afford us the opportunity to interact and familiarise, to bond together, to mass around our development agenda and design a road map for ourselves. After this retreat, it is my hope that we will all have a clear idea of the vision and each of us will have received the necessary compass to navigate our ways, prepare a workplan with timeline and agree on a M&E template to measure impact and outcomes of our policies and programmes as we set out on this exciting journey.
“Let me add also, that, after this retreat, you will be requested, as we settle down, to submit your work plans and to commit yourselves to a performance bond. Your ability on the job, creative ingenuity, innovative capability and impressive results will be the major determinants of your continued membership of the Executive Council, as you will always be called upon, from time to time, to submit yourselves to performance evaluation.
“I therefore urge you to hit the ground running, unleash your creative energy and approach every task with every sense of urgency. There should be no time to waste, no frivolous celebrations or noisy self-seeking media blitz.
“This appointment is a call to duty and not an invitation to dinner as many would like to see it. Everything you do must be in decency, moderation and with high sense of responsibility. “
