The appointment of the 21st Head of Service in Ogun State, Mr. Olanrewaju Saka has been described as a testament to years of dedicated service, exemplary leadership, professionalism and unwavering commitment to development and growth of the public service of the State.

The Commissioner, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tpl. Olatunji Odunlami said this when he led the Management Team of the Ministry and its sister agencies on a felicitation visit to the Office of the Head of Service at Oke-Mosan.

Tpl. Odunlami said he is confident that the Head of Service's wealth of experience, administrative acumen and passion for excellence will further strengthen the Service and in turn inspire greater productivity across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government.

He took advantage of the visit to brief the Head of Service on some of the notable achievements recorded by his Ministry since the restructuring of the former Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning and the defunct Urban and Regional Development Board in 2020 to include e-planning leading to e-approval, manpower expansion, establishment of additional zonal planning offices, organising capacity building seminars, workshops and retreats for more efficiency, amongst others.

He said the restructuring was meant to actualize the vision of the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration, as it was a deliberate and strategic transformation agenda aimed at strengthening institutional capacity, enhancing service delivery, and repositioning the physical planning sector to effectively meet the aspirations of the State and its citizens for a more properly planned and sustainable development that has been engendering corporate and individual prosperity.

Tpl. Odunlami congratulated the Head of Service and thanked Governor Abiodun for strengthening the Service by putting the right peg in the right hole, as well as all members of Staff for continued support that has led to improved service delivery.

Responding, the Head of Service, Mr Olanrewaju Saka, who described the Commissioner as highly professional, disciplined, meticulous, seasoned administrator, urged the workers to keep tapping from his wealth of experience in order to uphold institutional memories when his tenure winds down.

The HoS commended the Ministry for keeping the flag of expertise and due process flying as the State has not remained the same since the assumption of office of this administration.

He charged them to keep going the way of digitalisation, as that's the only way to go in this 21st century and further charged the workers to make visible the significant changes embedded in the transformational agenda of the State.

In another development, the Head of Service, Mr. Olanrewaju Saka, has called on teachers in the State to equip themselves with the modern day technical know-how, master their subjects and be good role models to their students, as well as look presentable anytime anywhere they find themselves.

Mr. Saka made the call when the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Ogun State Chapter led by its Chairman, Comrade Oluwaseun Agbesanwa, paid him a felicitation visit.

According to him, teachers must be people of integrity who carry out their statutory duties with conscience while Union matters be handled with human face.

"Let the image of the teaching profession be redeemed, be dedicated, committed, work with conscience and let the struggle of unionism be done with human face", the HoS said.

Earlier, Comrade Agbesanwa had appreciated the State Government for Mr. Saka's appointment, its intervention in matters relating to teachers' welfare and sought for more synergy with the office of the Head of Service and related bodies.

In the same vein, the Head of Service received in audience the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), Schools and Colleges Branch, Ogun State led by its Chairman, Comrade Olumide Oduneye, who had tabled before him challenges confronting the union to include amongst other things, career progression and elongation of some affected members.

Omolara Osindele & Tunde Olayiwola 

Office of the Head of Service