Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state on Monday described Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as a true statesman and an uncommon leader in Nigeria.
Okowa made the comments during the inauguration of the massive Prof Chike Edozien Secretariat Complex in Asaba, capital of Delta State.
The 13 billion complex was inaugurated by Prof. Osinbajo. He will also inaugurate the 8.5 Megawatts Independent Power Project (IPP) in Asaba.
The complex which is named after Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Prof. Chike Edozien, sits on a 45,000 square metres and was designed to accommodate the ministries and their workers.
Also speaking at the inauguration was Prof. Edozien, the Asagba of Asaba who the complex was named after. He lauded the project constructed by the Okowa government and praised Prof Osinbajo for his dedication and humility.
His Royal Highness described the Vice President as a wise man and a distinguished professor.
Speaking on the new secretariat complex, Governor Okowa said, “ The ministries began operating from here last week and from what I heard they are thrilled.
“Indeed, it is a new day for the entire public service in Delta state. It is my earnest expectation that ministry staff will be motivated to put in their best while striving to keep this facility in excellent condition always.
Adding that, “The narrative of poor maintenance culture that has bedeviled the civil service must give way to a sense of ownership, complemented by decency and responsibility.
“This is imperative for the integrity of the civil service establishment and the progress of the state. I expect the Chief Accounting Officers of the various ministries to institute strict measures to encourage, enhance and enforce the culture of maintenance.
Prof Osinbajo described the new secretariat as historic for two reasons. “This is historic indeed because the seat of the civil service of any arm of government anywhere in the world is usually one of the major monument enshrining not just the power but also the splendor of the authority of government. This imposing complex clearly meets this requirement, in due course, such building become historical monument and the commissioning of this secretariat is special in at least two different ways.
“First, the civil service and the people of Delta are today being presented with a state-of-the-art functional and befitting secretariat after many years, this in itself is worthy of great celebration and I shall return to that but the other is that the State is at the same time immortalizing the name of one of Delta State’s and indeed Nigeria’s most illustrious son, His Royal Majesty, Prof. Chike Edozien, the Asagba of Asaba, Nigeria’s oldest living professor in any discipline and an internationally renowned professor of medicine. But importantly, the recognition of the critical role of the public sector is notable,” Osinbajo said.
