Aiyedatiwa tasks Ondo public servants on results-driven governance
By Julius Alabi, Akure
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has challenged public servants to embrace accountability, professionalism and innovation, warning that the state’s OUR EASE agenda must translate into measurable improvements in public service delivery.
The governor said the success of government policies would be determined by their impact on citizens, rather than official pronouncements, urging civil servants to make public institutions more efficient, transparent and accessible.
Aiyedatiwa spoke on Thursday at the 2026 Public Service Week and Public Service Lecture held at the International Centre for Culture and Events, The Dome, Akure, with the theme, “Harnessing Public Service to Promote Good Governance”.
He described the public service as a strategic partner in governance and the principal instrument for implementing government policies, stressing that public servants must demonstrate diligence, discipline and courtesy in the discharge of their duties.
According to him, the administration’s OUR EASE agenda can only achieve its objectives when policies are translated into tangible benefits for residents through improved service delivery.
The governor who received “Public Service Award”, reaffirmed his commitment to workers’ welfare, citing timely salary payments, regular promotions with financial benefits, capacity development and the appointment of qualified officers as accounting officers among the measures taken by his administration.
He said the government had also introduced interventions aimed at improving access to healthcare, including the Orange Health Insurance Scheme (ORANGHIS), which covers public servants and their dependants, with organised labour and retirees participating in the initiative.
On retirement benefits, Aiyedatiwa disclosed that gratuity arrears had been cleared up to 2020, adding that outstanding pension obligations and gratuities would be addressed progressively, subject to available resources and established procedures.
He also listed the review of car loans, housing loans and duty tour allowances among the government’s interventions to improve workers’ welfare.
The governor further disclosed that the administration was exploring plans to provide compressed natural gas-powered buses to ease workers’ transportation challenges.
On manpower development, he said more than 2,000 teachers had been recruited for public primary and secondary schools, alongside about 3,323 medical personnel, including doctors and nurses.
Aiyedatiwa also announced plans to recognise serving and retired civil servants, individuals, organisations and ministries, departments and agencies that had demonstrated exceptional dedication and performance.
He urged public servants to shun complacency and embrace innovation, accountability and professionalism, noting that public confidence in government depended largely on the quality of services delivered by its workforce.
Earlier, the Head of Service, Segun Odusanya, called on civil servants to place accountability, professionalism and citizens’ welfare at the centre of public administration.
Odusanya said transparency, efficiency and respect for the rule of law were indispensable to good governance, urging ministries, departments and agencies to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks and strengthen collaboration.
He advocated digital transformation and a results-oriented approach to make government institutions more responsive to the needs of residents.
The Head of Service also acknowledged the government’s interventions in workers’ welfare, including recruitment, promotions, capacity development, support for retirees, health insurance and payment of terminal examination fees for children in public primary and secondary schools.
He commended the governor for his support for the state’s public service.
The chairman of the occasion and former Head of Service, Akin Adaramola, urged public servants to uphold integrity, merit, impartiality and selfless service.
In his lecture, retired Federal Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Sulaiman, proposed a comprehensive five-year reform programme to transform the public service from a routine-driven bureaucracy into a modern, results-oriented institution.
He called for the modernisation of administrative structures, strategic deployment of personnel, measures to address skills gaps and stronger collaboration among government institutions.
Sulaiman maintained that the effectiveness of public service reforms should be measured by the tangible benefits delivered to citizens, rather than the number of policies introduced or institutions established.
The event was attended by the Deputy Governor, Olayide Adelami; Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Fasoranti; Chief of Staff, Segun Omojuwa; members of the State Executive Council; Permanent Secretaries; political appointees; traditional rulers and other dignitaries.
