The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has said that the country cannot attain any meaningful development unless the infrastructure is rebuilt.
Obaseki stated this in Benin at the opening of the BRACED Commission Strategy Retreat for heads of civil service from Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, and Delta at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy.
The governor also stated that bureaucracy must be fixed to ensure that the public service backs the drive to develop the country.
Using Edo as a case study, the governor said that his administration decided to build the state through institutional reforms, infrastructural development, social welfare enhancement, economic revolution, environmental sustainability as well as arts, culture, and tourism.
He also stated that the civil service must employ the best brains, just like Edo is doing, to make the workforce better.
“Because we are hiring the best, we must pay them the way their counterparts are being paid in other organisations. So, If we must rebuild Nigeria, then the best brains must be attracted to work in the public and civil service
“We cannot build our country and states if we do not build our institutions and infrastructure. So, it is so important that as we talk about building Nigeria, we must fix our bureaucracy that runs Nigeria at all levels,” Obaseki said.
He noted that the retreat would allow participants to brainstorm on ways to support each other to develop civil and public service in the South-South region.
According to him, over the next two days, the participants will discuss issues that are common to BRACED states and leverage each other’s knowledge.
Obaseki promised to support the BRACED commission to make it an envy of other states in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Director General, BRACED Commission, Ambassador Joe Keshi, commended the governor for his foresight and commitment to building institutions as catalysts for development.
Keshi noted that the braced commission was established to achieve that brief of economic cooperation, integration, collective development, harmonization of state policies, and ensuring that the region was globally competitive
He said, “l am delighted to welcome all of you to this Retreat for Heads of Service of the BRACED states.
“When I first visited this academy, I became curious of what it can offer not just to the people of Edo state but to the South-South region in terms of training and strengthening the capacity of the civil service,” he said.
He commended the Edo Head of Civil Service for the initiative adding that the retreat speaks to what BRACED was all about, cooperation, collaboration, sharing of ideas and knowledge
According to him, there is no way we can achieve our objectives at the BRACED Commission, without a knowledgeable, strong, confident, effective, and efficient civil service
The Guest Speaker and Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof Tunji Olaopa, said the old ways of running the civil service must be jettisoned.
Speaking on the topic, Strategic leadership in Civil/Public Service: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Prospects, Olaopa demanded new innovative out-of-the-box thinking and strategies in other to get results that would translate to real performance and productivity.
In his welcome address, the State Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa, said the retreat was a gathering of brothers who have come together to find solutions to the challenges in the civil service in the region.