In a move to reinforce its alloyed commitment  to people’s welfare, the Ogun State Government has commenced the refund of administrative fees paid by 905 applicants who sought employment in the State civil service recently.

Permanent Secretary of the Civil Service Commission, Mr. Adesoji Adewuyi, disclosed this during a recent interview, stating that Governor Dapo Abiodun approved the release of ₦9 million to ensure all applicants who paid the ₦10,000 administrative charges were fully reimbursed.

          Adewuyi said  that the refund was a directive from Governor Abiodun, who maintained that job applications into the State’s public and civil services should be free of charge.

"The policy of Ogun State is to assist our people in seeking advancement, not to give them problems, hence, the Governor felt that since many applicants are currently unemployed, they should not be burdened with fees, therefore,  directed that we should not generate revenue from people looking for work,’’ he said.               

Adewuyi confirmed that the Commission had begun reaching out to the 905 affected individuals, using the profiling data collected during the application window, which included names, phone numbers and bank details where the funds were being electronically transferred directly to the applicants’ accounts.

He noted that the refund exercise would be concluded by the end of this week, stating that many of the original applicants had already been absorbed into the State’s workforce, either within the core Civil service or the Teaching service, while others remained under consideration for future openings.

He expressed gratitude to the State Governor for his kind and thoughtful gesture, which reflected deep sense of responsibility, empathy and commitment to the welfare of the people.

Responding after the receipt of the fund, one of the beneficiaries who is now gainfully employed in the State, Mr. Kehinde Olaoluwa expressed his gratitude, saying the act would also showcase one of the many attributes of good governance of the present administration.

On his part, Mr. Osho Olanrewaju who is yet to be absorbed also appreciated the Ogun State Government for the gesture.