Fashola Flags Off 2011 Public Service Week Celebrations

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Monday flagged off activities marking the 2011 Public Service Week with a workshop titled, “Energizing Public Servants for the Task ahead”, charging that they must be ready to reconsider the methods that they used to apply.

Governor Fashola who spoke at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium Alausa where top civil servants gathered for a workshop to deliberate on the findings of an Opinion Poll prepared by a team of consultants led by former Special Adviser on Education, Professor Idowu Shobowale, which the Fashola administration commissioned on what the people expect from the new administration, added that the measures which worked yesterday will not necessarily work today to solve the same problems.

“We have to reconsider the methods that we have applied. We must not assume that we know that they need water. Are we providing the water in the best way that is possible? Even if we know that the people have malaria and government is providing malaria drugs, are we caring or just treating? I believe there is a difference between the healthcare that cares and the healthcare that treats.

“In our schools, what are the instructional methods that we are using? Are the things we are teaching relevant for tomorrow? Are we still recycling the curricular that we have used for 20 years ago?” Governor Fashola asked.

The Governor asserted that one of the greatest strengths of institutions that make them have a cut above the rest is their perpetual search for knowledge and innovations.

He stressed that if people are contented with what they have already acquired in terms of knowledge and satisfied with what they have already achieved, the tendency is that they will stagnate because there is competition out there everyday.

He expressed the belief that in an organization like the Lagos State Public Service which is responsible for 18 million people and still growing everyday, the challenges are the same just as they are all over the world.

“Public Service is about humanity, their continued quest for better life that is represented by a desire for a healthcare that is reliable and sustainable, for an educational system that improves knowledge and develops the human capacity, for an efficient transportation, for a safe and secure environment where families can properly breed and grow up. The problems are the same”.

The Governor cited the examples of the ways banks were run 20 years ago which are outdated today, adding that even for companies like Xerox and so many that taught the world how to copy, “they are struggling to survive in this world of changing imaging technology”.

He said he has consistently received Opinion Poll reports from Professor Idowu Shobowale, adding that there is hardly a year that he does not embark on at least two studies for the government, but that he decided that this time around he would change the process of sharing the information so gathered to include as many people as are possible.

Governor Fashola explained that this is being done to ensure that when instructions are given that things should be done in a particular manner, everyone concerned can log into one page and understand that it is because people in a particular area wanted government to provide such facilities.

He added that it is often very tempting to assume that one knows what the people want, saying during the last administration, while some communities were asking for roads, in some others the complaints were that the dusts from the construction work is disturbing the residents.

In his words: “For those who ask us to do more, they do so because they believed we can do it. If they had any doubt, they will ask us to leave, but as long as they have not said that, we must find inspiration in their belief in our ability.

“Every time they ask us, they ask because they feel confident that the faces they see, the knowledge that you have, the experience that you have gathered, that this team can deliver on their hopes”.

Governor Fashola reiterated that this explains why he asked Professor Shobowale and another team to conduct an Opinion Poll across the state on what the people expect from the government, adding that in the last 15 days, he has received reports on the first team, but in order to expand the horizon of the information that it got, it was considered expedient to hear from another team which is a reason for the gathering.

“Opinion Polls may not take the opinion of everybody but could be fairly accurate on the samplings that have been conducted and what constitutes the view of the majority. Government is always responsible to the people but will do its best to deliver the greatest good to the possible greatest number of people”, Governor Fashola said.

He implored all the participants to note, listen attentively, participate in the interactive sessions that will follow the presentation and understand that it is a part of the process for demonstrating that the government will remain a government of methods, reviewing its policies, plans, strategies and consistently preparing very diligently in the backroom before going out to engage with the public because it believes that once it is a well thought out plan, it is always easy to implement.

Earlier in his address, the Head of Service, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe thanked the Governor for acknowledging that the achievements of his administration should also be partly credited to energetic, hardworking, loyal and committed public servants in Lagos State.

He assured him that public servants of Lagos State will continue to give the administration all the necessary support to continue to lead in public service delivery as a Centre of Excellence.

Prince Ogunlewe said despite these testimonies, the Governor does not want to take the people for granted hence the initiative to get the services of consultants in conducting Opinion Polls with a view to getting the feedback from the people on their assessment of the present administration in the last four years and their expectations in the next four years.In his address, the leader of the team, Professor Idowu Shobowale said what is being presented represents a summary of some of the important findings that the team has made.

Professor Shobowale said to some and even many, the findings might not be palatable but urged them not to look at them as such but should be seen as a challenge for the public servants to serve the people better.

He said going by the massive support obtained by the Governor and his Deputy at the election, it is a clear indication that the people are indeed excited about this administration, stressing that there is however plenty of room for improvement.“No matter how good you are. There is no way that you can please everybody. To that extent you must struggle very hard to please the very few that you may not have pleased”.

The workshop had in attendance the Deputy Governor, Mrs Adejoke Orelope- Adefulire, the body of Permanent Secretaries in the State Public Service, Directors in the Public Service and other members of the consulting team namely, Professor Lai Osho, Mr Niyi Sowunmi, Mrs Oyindamola Shoderu and Mr Tokunbo Adaja among others.