Recently, President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan GCFR, an academic that has taught in the Ivory tower appointed Professor Oladapo Abraham Afolabi, OON as the new Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF). Following the appointment, he takes over the mantle of leadership from Mr. Steve Oronsanye whose tenure expired having attained the mandatory retirement age. Until his appointment, Professor Afolabi was Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, a Ministry that had respectable and influential academics, an astute politician, successful businessman and legal luminary as Ministers and Permanent Secretary respectively. I think and believe that was why the efficiency and effectiveness of educational policies were being formulated and executed with speed, accuracy and alacrity. The relationship of the trio was because of their intellectual background and exposure.
Professor Afolabi’s appointment was, no doubt, recognition of his intellectual capability and distinct scholarship and I pray God to grant him the divine wisdom, knowledge, understanding, good health, and peace of mind to pilot the affairs of the public service generally to greater heights. Furthermore, the appointment was also a demonstration of confidence in his ability and agility to provide the required inspiration and guidance for achieving the objectives of the public service in Nigeria. Consequently, one can add that the appointment was well deserved and he is the first Professor to occupy the Office of the HOCSF.
Professor Afolabi who obtained his Ph.D. (Applied Chemistry) in 1981, started his public service career as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Biochemistry before transferring to the Department of Chemistry, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife. He also worked at the University of Zimbabwe and the Ladoke Akintola University in the old Oyo State and the University of Technology, Ogbomoso.
He assumed duties in the defunct Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) in June 1991 and was absorbed as one of the pioneer staff of the Federal Ministry of Environment in 1995. The Prof. was appointed Permanent Secretary in October 2006 and has served in the Federal Ministries of Labour, Agriculture, and Water Resources.
He is a member of various professional societies including Biochemical Society (U.K.), Biochemical Society (Nigeria), Nigerian Chemical Society, Science Association of Nigeria, New York Academy, Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology, Nigerian Institute of Public Analysts. Professor Afolabi has also served on many Boards/Councils including Chairman, Board of National Social Insurance Trust Fund; Member, Board of National Directorate of Employment; Board of National Productivity among others.
Prof. Sir, permit me to quote a sage and elder statesman, Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo (of blessed memory) for your guidance when he said “I must say, however, that in all conscience, I felt and still feel that a truly public-spirit person should accept public service not for what he can get, for himself such as a profit and glamour of office, but for the opportunity which it offers him of serving his people for the best of his ability, by promoting their welfare and happiness”. In this connection therefore, the welfare of public servants need to be adequately addressed. In other words, there is the need to be imbued with Mandela’s Stoicism and Caesar’s bravery in services to the people.
I think and believe this is the time for top public servants in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to look into issues that need critical appraisal with speed and accuracy before implementation and not to deliberately ignore until the dying minute so that unnecessary tension and anxiety may not be created. This, in the final analysis can lead to incessant petition writing and possibly including blackmail to enable the aggrieved public servants get their rights and privileges.
No doubt from his academic background, training and public service experience including exposure, it is abundantly clear that Professor Oladapo Abraham Afolabi is confident, bold, principled, hard working, intelligent and knows how to exhibit a high degree of tolerance, discipline, and will definitely continue with the good work of his predecessor, Mr. Steve Oronsanye.
Finally, I am sure Prof. will handle the Office of the HOCSF with Godly fear and pragmatic philosophy which should be acronymed “HOE” that is, hard work + obedience + endurance = success. This is because the civil/public service is the engine room of any democratic structure. The public service generally needs to remain vibrant and offer useful suggestions under anonymity to the current leadership of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan so as to make Nigeria better.
Charles Ikedikwa Soeze, fhnr, fcida, fcai, cpae, son, emba is a Public Affairs
Analyst, mass communication scholar and Chief Officer (Administration) at the
Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State, Nigeria .
08036724193 charlessoeze@yahoo,ca
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