The fond memories of renowned technocrat and former Head of Service in the old Western Region, Chief Simeon Adebo was relived at the week-end as Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State endowed a professorial chair in Public Management in the Department of Management of the newly-established Technical University, Ibadan.
To demonstrate his commitment to the course, the Governor donated N20 million on behalf of the Government and N1 million personally to ensure the quick take-off of the Chair.
A renowned Professor of Public Administration and World Bank Consultant, Professor Ladipo Adamolekun had, at the Oyo State Public Service Forum Lecture held in Ibadan, expressed the regret that efforts at endowing the Chair at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife some years back had not yielded result.
Ladipo, who was the Guest Lecturer at the occasion, said that although Chief Adebo, a lawyer and former United Nations Under-Secretary General, had cited lack of enough resources as incapacitating him in endowing the Chair but added that his effort to garner funds through friends of the late administrator for the project could not materialize.
He then appealed to Governor Ajimobi to consider endowing the Chair at the state-owned university and then announced the donation of N100,000 to hasten the effective take-off.
Governor Ajimobi, while speaking at the occasion, lauded the initiative and said that his Government would take up the challenge as a mark of respect to the former Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
The Governor had earlier hailed the State Civil Service which he described as the pivot of his administration's restoration, transformation and repositioning agenda.
He said that working closely with the Civil Service as the engine room of his Government had helped in delivering his electioneering promises and recording monumental achievements in the last two years which had received wide applause.
The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Emeka Anyaoku had commended the State Government for the annual public service forum lecture, saying it was a manifestation of the great importance that Government attached to tackling the developmental challenges in the State.
Chief Anyaoku, a former Commonwealth Secretary-General, said that civil service could be a virile instrument of nation building if it eschewed politicization and guaranteed humane reward system.
He also warned politicians against politicizing the security challenges currently facing the country, saying this could create a conducive environment for criminal activities to thrive.
Citing the cases of some countries like United States of America, United Kingdom, India and Indonesia with cases of bombings and where their political parties rallied round their Governments to deal with terrorism, he charged political parties in Nigeria to do same.
He also called for National Dialogue, with representatives chosen from all the six geo-political zones of the country with a view to finding solution to Nigeria's myriad of problems and enhancing a more united country.
Via: Oyo State Government - Official Press Release