Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has unveiled plans by his administration to build a recreational and wellness centre with modern facilities for senior citizens in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

The Governor disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti during a special send forth reception in honour of two retired heads of service and 42 permanent secretaries, who had retired from the state’s public service between 2012 and 2019.

According to a statement by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Yinka Oyebode, Governor Fayemi, said his government would continue to work out plans to make the senior citizens live a good life after retirement, through timely payment for their gratuities and pensions as well as activation of other social investments plans for them.

The Governor said the idea of building an elderly people’s resort and wellness centre for the senior citizens was borne out of respect for the elderly as well as the wise counsel of the Ekiti Council of Elders

“Let me use this opportunity to restate the determination of the present administration to make the welfare of all the Senior Citizens in the state a priority, through prompt payment of their gratuities and pensions. Equally, based on our respect for elders and the wise counsel of the Ekiti Council of Elders, we are building a recreational Elderly People’s Resort and Wellness Centre in Ado Ekiti,” he said.

Governor Fayemi who presented gifts to the 42 permanent secretaries and two heads of service, said the State Government would continue to recognise meritorious service to the state either in the public service or from private citizens.

The Governor said the send forth ceremony was organised for all the permanent secretaries and Heads of Service that had retired from 2012 in order to ensure that they do not miss out of the usual honour of being celebrated after leaving the service.

Speaking at the elaborate ceremony at the Adetiloye Hall, Ado Ekiti the Governor commended them for reaching the height of their career saying the legacy of hard work and commitment they left behind has made it possible for the state’s public service to evolve and adapt to changing realities and global best practice in service delivery.

The governor noted that all the retired officers have paid their dues by playing remarkable roles at ensuring the smooth take-off of the state when it was created in 1996, noting that many of them performed their official duties under shades of trees as a result of office accommodation challenge.

He said despite the initial hindrances, they still performed meritoriously in their drive to establish a credible and formidable public service in the state.

“I warmly congratulate the Senior Citizens on their retirement from the Public Service after meritorious services to our dear state. I equally congratulate you for reaching the enviable positions of Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries in Ekiti State Public Service.

“It is worthy of note to state that this crop of retired public servants must have played remarkable roles as bureaucrats in ensuring the smooth take-off of Ekiti State when it was created on October 1, 1996. Many, if not all of you, I understand were performing official duties under the shades of trees at the inception of the State, while the lucky ones were crowded into the few available offices.

Fayemi expressed his special appreciation to the two Heads of Service being honoured, Sir Olubunmi Famosaya and Dr Olugbenga Faseluka, for providing the required leadership at different times for the State Public Service to thrive.

He said “It is pertinent to state here as records show that, in their service years, this crop of Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries considered no sacrifice as too great and no personal comfort was much more important than the need of our dear state. I have been inspired by their sincerity of purpose and sense of duty that produced outstanding achievements.

Fayemi said the need for a virile civil service has brought about reforms put in place by his administration. He highlighted the six key result areas of the Civil Service Transformation Strategy to include Effective Governance of the Civil Service; Organizational Efficiency and Effectiveness; Professional and Result – oriented Civil Service; Ethical and Accountable Workforce with a changed work culture; Improved Competence of Civil Servants and Improved Public Financial Management.

Speaking at the event, the incumbent Head of Service, Mr Ayodeji Ajayi commended the state government for repositioning the state civil service to its present enviable position especially through approval and creation of an extra-ministerial department – Capacity Development and Reforms which has undertaken capacity training of 955 officers both locally and internationally in the last eight months.

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