SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, RT. HON. SIMON BAKO LALONG, KSGG AT THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY OF THE NEW HEAD OF SERVICE AND PERMANENT SECRETARIES AT NEW GOVERNMENT HOUSE, LITTLE RAYFIELD,JOS

SPEECH BY H.E. RT. HON. SIMON BAKO LALONG, KSGG AT THE SWEARING-IN OF THE NEW HEAD OF SERVICE AND PERMANENT SECRETARIES HELD AT THE NEW GOVERNMENT HOUSE, LITTLE RAYFIELD JOS ON 29TH MARCH 2021.
Protocols

1. It is another great day in the life of our State as we witness the opening of new chapters for the top echelon of the State Civil Service. As we swear into office the new Head of Service and 14 Permanent Secretaries, we are reminded that the task of building a better Plateau continues with zeal and vigour.
2. Let me therefore congratulate the new Head of Service Engr. Sunday Chong Hyat and the 14 Permanent Secretaries for this well-deserved elevation. Indeed you have been serving the State diligently and consistently over the years which has earned you these appointments. I also use this opportunity to congratulate the immediate past Head of Service Mr. Izam Azi, mni, for his meritorious service to the State and retiring without any blemish. I wish him a peaceful retirement.
3. For the appointees, you should be grateful for the grace of God in your lives and His benevolence that has kept you throughout the years. You may not have started your careers targeting for these appointments, but your steadfastness and sacrifices have enabled you to be recognized and be given this rare privilege. Like the Bible says in Proverbs 22:29 (Amplified Version), “When you see that a man is diligent in his work, he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before obscure men.”
4. The point being made here is the fact that your appointments were based on merit and the track record of performance. This does not suggest that your colleagues who were not privileged to be so appointed are not giving their best or are less qualified.
5. Again, the Bible in Ecclesiastes 9:11 tells us that “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all”. Just keep doing your best to serve the State and your time will also come to be elevated and celebrated.
6. It is for this reason that those of you appointed must consider your appointments as a great privilege to contribute your quota towards building a greater Plateau State. Indeed you should consider this elevation as a burden that you have to discharge with excellence and patriotism.
7. Your appointments are not opportunities to engage in self-aggrandizement, self-enrichment and pursuance of parochial interests. Rather, these responsibilities demand that you take your commitments to the next level by exhibiting high sense of duty and patriotism.
8. By this appointment, you are now the cream of the civil service and the custodians of its rich history and traditions. You are to set the examples for those under you to follow. As such, you need to uphold the civil service rules that guide policy formulation, implementation, and strategies as well as the conduct of government employees.
9. Having been in the system with this administration for the past 6 years, you must have been acquainted with the vision of the Rescue Administration and its 3-point policy framework which has been driving the progress of our State. Our administration has broadly been pursuing the restoration of peace, security and good governance; developing abandoned and new infrastructure; as well as charting a path for sustainable economic rebirth.
10. As we consolidate on the progress we have attained in the past six years, the administration expects you to galvanise the entire workforce and ensure that we complete the implementation of our programs and projects. Let me emphasize that the civil service is the driver of all government policies. You must therefore be on your toes in translating policies to action.
11. Apart from demonstrating absolute loyalty to the Government and the State, you must put in your best to see to the actualization of the 5-year strategic plan which is currently being implemented. Those of you who have not studied that document should get acquainted with it immediately.
12. I expect you to be above board in your conduct in order to assert yourselves and earn the confidence of those under you. You must play strategic roles as mentors and leaders and be able to punish indolence and reward excellence and loyalty. Do not celebrate nor promote mediocrity, laziness and non-performance.
13. I will also be watching you closely to ensure that you do not only supervise those under you, but will not hesitate to sanction any of you who fails to deliver his or her duties as expected. Let me warn you against promoting ethnicity, religion or politicising the civil service. Such actions will not be tolerated as the civil service is a professional calling which must remain so.
14. To further strengthen professionalism in the civil service, I have directed that henceforth, appointments to the position of Permanent Secretary shall be based on professional aptitude tests and examinations that are ICT-based. This will also cascade down to other levels as we move governance towards e-platforms that will improve efficiency, productivity and value.
15. I therefore urge all civil servants to take advantage of the opportunities provided by Government for training in ICT. In addition, I expect that civil servants will engage in self-development by enrolling in trainings to equip themselves with the latest knowledge in technology for easy application.
16. You should also shun all acts of corruption and compromise that further stifle the system and deny our people the dividends of democracy. Ensure that you work in line with the efforts of the Rescue Administration to manage public resources with transparency and accountability. We are doing everything possible to reduce the cost of governance and generate more revenue internally.
17. Like I submitted last Saturday while delivering the 11th Arewa House Lecture in Kaduna on Reducing the Cost of Governance, we must embrace prudence and adopt cost-cutting measures to save more funds that will be deployed in meeting the needs of our citizens. With commencement of the implementation of the new Revenue Law, we are confident that the income of the State will improve very soon to help us do more things for the people.
18. Until we reach that threshold, I admonish the appointees to be ready to make the necessary sacrifice because of the current economic realities that have been made worse by COVID-19.
19. Let me use this opportunity to reassure Plateau State civil servants of the commitment of my administration to continue to prioritise their welfare and well-being. Just like we have been consistent in the payment of salaries and other entitlements including the new minimum wage, we shall ensure that our workers are trained and retrained for better efficiency.
20. Having established the Plateau State Health Insurance Scheme, we are making arrangements to commence the Contributory Pension Scheme which will bring to an end the agony associated with payment of pension and gratuities of retirees. While we await the take-off of the scheme, the Government is currently in talks with financial institutions to facilitate the clearance of accumulated pension, gratuities and death benefits of retirees. All these are meant to alleviate the sufferings of our civil servants in service and retirement.
21. I challenge the new Head of Service and Permanent Secretaries to work hard and promote better industrial harmony between the Government and its employees. To this end, I have directed that a Permanent Secretary be designated to handle labour matters in the office of the Head of Service. Government believes that this will provide the desired focus and attention to labour matters and engender industrial harmony.
22. Finally, I call on our citizens, friends, relatives, school mates, professional colleagues and others to kindly pray and support these appointees. Do not add to their pressures or push them towards doing things that are unethical and capable of tarnishing their careers. They are not here to share money or award contracts. They are here to serve the people and finish their careers on a high note.
23. Once more I congratulate the appointees and wish you well. God bless Plateau State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Rt. Hon. (Dr) Simon Bako Lalong
Executive Governor of Plateau State.
29th March 2021.