The Oyo State Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni, has said that the present administration in the State would continue to select officers to the highest echelon of the civil service based on merit.
She stated this during an official visit to the venue of the appointment exercise of the Permanent Secretaries, Inspectors General of Education, Tutors General and Heads of Extra Ministerial Departments in the State Civil Service, held at Otunba Subomi Balogun, Conference Center, University of Ibadan.
She said the screening exercise is based on merit and other considerations that are necessary would be factored in, after the exercise by the panelists.
She said “this is not the first time we are having this exercise, this is the second time from the present administration, the first day from this exercise, we had about 800 people sitting for the exam, second day, we had about 160, the last batch appears today (Friday) for the final screening exercise”.
The Head of Service said she was satisfied with the conduct of the screening exercise, hinting that, the exercise has been successful from the part of the Government and the Panelists, the retired Head of Service from the South West, retired Permanent Secretaries and other eminent personalities from academic and professional bodies made the list of the panelists that screened the applicants.
She enjoined Civil Servants to read more, train themselves as the Government cannot do it all alone.
Responding, the retired Head of Service from Ekiti State, Mr Ayodeji Ajayi commended the State Government for selecting the best for the highest echelon in the Civil/Public Service based on merit.
Ajayi said “Oyo State is doing very well on the appointment of the top officers in the Civic Service based on merit, Civil Service is the engine room of the Government and the moment the mediocres get to the top, they mess the whole place up, with this exercise Oyo State is setting the pace for others to follow.
He added further that Oyo State has quality officers that are well read and also imbibe tenets of the Civil Service that can stand behind the political class to deliver on the promises made to the good people of Oyo State.