The Edo State Government is gaining significant traction in its unfolding initiative to sharpen the skills of its workforce and build infrastructure to support seamless governance and the rush of investors drawn to the conducive business climate in the state, Governor Godwin Obaseki has said.
Governor Obaseki further said his administration established the John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy, (JOOPSA) a world-class training institution, to engender a culture of continuous capacity enhancement and keep up with the latest trends among various disciplines to serve as a pivot for this initiative.
He further reiterated that Edo State is set to be the most digitized public service in Nigeria, on account of the investment in digital infrastructure, having laid over 600 kilometres of fibre-optic cable across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Governor Obaseki stated this at the inauguration of the John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) in Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Saturday.
The inauguration coincided with the 84th birthday of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, CON, the first Executive Governor of Edo State, after whom JOOPSA was named and who was present and being celebrated at the event for his long and meritorious service to Edo State and Nigeria as a whole.
“The academy rests as a key fulcrum in the service-wide institutional reforms which we have been implementing in Edo State in the past six years, aimed at transforming the service into a nimble, functional and digitally-driven bureaucracy. Our goal is that our workforce can compete favourably with the best across the globe, with support from JOOPSA,” the governor said.
“The academy is named after the first Executive Governor of Edo State and former Permanent Secretary, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who embodies the fine ethos of integrity, fidelity and excellence.
“These attributes are woven into the fabric of the modules delivered at the academy and drive its mission to deliver bespoke, customized and relevant training to improve public service delivery in the country and making Edo the best place to work and live in the next 30 years,” he said.
The governor emphasized that the people were the most prized asset of Edo State and that as such, the State Government had provided them with the most competitive welfare packages, such as the highest minimum wage in Nigeria, at N40,000, an efficient health insurance scheme and an active contributory pension scheme, among others.
He applauded Precious Imuwahen Ajoonu, the Director-General of JOOPSA, and others for the good work they had done in positioning the academy as the centre of excellence in training and research for public service reforms and policy implementation.
“The academy is a creation of law with the passage of its establishment law at the Edo State House of Assembly, so, we are certain of its sustainability over time. Given its importance for public service transformation, it would continue to remain relevant in the scheme of things,” he said.
