Osinbajo says the Civil Service drives growth in any society.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has stated that the public sector is essential for national growth, governance, and the delivery of high-quality public services.
Prof. Osinbajo made the remarks on Monday during the opening of a multi-billion-naira civil service secretariat building in Asaba, Delta State's capital, which was named after Prof. Chike Edozien, the Asagba of Asaba (traditional ruler of Asaba).
The Vice President, who was met at the Asaba airport by Delta State Governor Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, said at the secretariat that the commissioning was historic "because the seat of the civil service of any arm of government anywhere in the world is usually one of the major monuments enshrining not only the power, but also the splendour of government authority."
"This intimidating complex obviously satisfies this criterion. Such structures eventually become historical landmarks," the VP's spokeswoman, Laolu Akande, said in a statement.
The civil service, according to the Vice President, is at the very tip of the governance spear, and good public service delivery necessitates an efficient civil service.
"Not only does such a public service necessitate training and capacity building, but it also necessitates well-equipped, accommodating, and inspiring workspaces." We've already heard how inspired today's public officials are, and how they work long hours at the workplace. This is quite commendable. Environments that bring out the best in public workers are required. He remarked, "This secretariat complex will create such an environment."
The VP, who hailed the new secretariat as "state-of-the-art, functional, and suitable," said it was right that the state chose to immortalize the name of one of Delta State's and Nigeria's most renowned sons.
Prof. Edozien's recognition by the Delta State government, he added, will serve as an inspiration and a reminder of the level of quality necessary in public service.
"By naming this building after His Royal Majesty, you are not only honoring a highly esteemed and deserved son of Delta State and Nigeria, but you are also indicating the kind of greatness in public service that we desire to see fostered inside this complex," Prof. Osinbajo said.
"But, perhaps more crucially, you're telling a generation of people who aren't old enough to work in the civil service now that honesty, dedication, and commitment to community and nation still pay off." It is my wish that, like the illustrious figure for whom it is named, this location would serve as a symbol of unity and distinction."
Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the Governor of Delta State, was praised by the Vice President for understanding the importance of the public sector.
He went on to say that the governor of the state deserved praise for being able to fund the worthwhile initiative "despite diminishing tax inflows and significant resource limitations across all levels of government in our nation."
Earlier, the Vice President had also dedicated an 8.5MW power plant in Asaba, which is located just behind the new secretariat, along with a 25-kilometer distribution network.
The Delta State government and Bastanchury Power Solutions collaborated on the Independent Power Project, which currently provides energy to the State Government House and the Secretariat in Asaba 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The plant was built on a Willing Buyer-Willing Seller basis, which meant there was no need for a Power Purchase Agreement, or PPA, which would ordinarily necessitate a Sovereign Guarantee.
"Whether we are talking about the need for more internally generated revenues and greater tax efficiency to compensate for resource deficits, or the management of a public health crisis such as a pandemic, or even the drive for more internally generated revenue, it is the capacity of the public sector that is invariably at issue," the vice president said.
The Vice President, who had previously made a courtesy call on the Asagba of Asaba's palace, said the traditional monarch was a bridge builder who brought people together.
"His Royal Majesty, Prof. Chike Edozien, the Asagba of Asaba — Nigeria's longest surviving professor in any subject, an internationally recognized Professor of Medicine, but above all, an extraordinary bridge-builder and patriot."
"His Majesty has played and continues to play a vital role as a symbol of unity in our State, as Your Excellency affirms." And that, throughout his thirty-year rule, Asaba has evolved drastically, becoming the capital of the newly-created Delta State in 1991, and attracting individuals from all over the world who have come to seek their fortunes here," the Vice President remarked.
The Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chike Edozien, praised Okowa for the award and hailed Vice President Osinbajo as a knowledgeable man in his remarks at his palace.
"We know you as a respected and eminent supporter of law, and we know you as a pastor of the Redeemed Church, as Vice President of this beautiful country, Nigeria." With all of your degrees and expertise, we may conclude that you are a wise guy.
"I thank you once more, Mr. Vice President, for coming to Asaba to listen to us. We wish you well and hope that you return safely to Abuja following the commissioning. Mr. President, we send you our love and respect. God's blessings on you."
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, in welcome Prof. Osinbajo to the state during the Secretariat's commissioning, said, "Mr. Vice President is a real statesman and an extraordinary leader."
