Commending Governor Abiodun’s magnanimity

Last week, the Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, dazed majority of Ogun residents when he upheld the last minute appointments of the immediate past administration. The appointments consist of 21 permanent secretaries and over 1,000 new entrants into the civil service.

It could be recalled that the All Progressives Congress, Ogun State chapter, had before the inauguration of the Governor Abiodun-led government vowed to review all the appointments made by the previous administration from February to May, 2019 and the governor had in order to address this set up a committee headed by a former Head of Service in the state, Chief Dipo Odulate, to look into the various issues relating to the appointments and make recommendations.

Since politics of vendetta had been the order of the day in our clime, it was expected that Governor Dapo Abiodun would do was to fight his predecessor by sacking the newly employed and the new set of permanent secretaries. Without mincing words, such action would further buttress the saying that when two elephants fight, the grass suffers. Unfortunately, the grass, which is not a stakeholder in the imbroglio, had always been made to pay the price in the past.

It is, however, heartwarming to see Prince Abiodun’s calm mien which  in no small measure informed his painstaking decision on issues without attaching emotion and  sentiment.

Ordinarily, to many, the last-minute appointed permanent secretaries of the past administration would have got to the end of the road as far as their career is concerned. And the new hands in the civil service were already scouting for other means to make ends meet.

While the general public continued, to think back and forth, the governor remained calm and in November, he made it public that the Dipo Odulate-led committee had submitted its report, promising that he would make the position of his government known soonest.

While we waited for the worst with fear and worrisome nostalgia, days kept running into months.

Prince Abiodun, instead of announcing the worst as expected, made public the list of another eight newly appointed permanent secretaries. This time, the appointees were picked based on merit and seniority in accordance with public service rule.

Inaugurating the permanent secretaries, the governor affirmed that he had decided to uphold the last-minute appointments of his predecessor into the civil service, saying that the Office of the Head of Service and civil service commission should immediately work on regularisng their appointments.

Governor Abiodun said in line with his administration’s commitment to equity, fairness, justice and inclusiveness, government would not engage in any action or policy that might be viewed as vindictive.

From the foregoing, one good turn, they say, deserves another. If a governor who has executive Power could be this magnanimous without any iota of vindictiveness, it will not be out of place if all hands are put on the deck to give him and his administration the fullest support because he has shown leadership at its peak.

Femi Onasanya,

Ogun State