…seeks increased collaboration to boost capacity, productivity of Edo workforce
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has said Nigerians must come together to rebuild the nation and reposition it on the path of sustainable economic growth and development.
The governor noted that no matter the frustration and lamentations, the task of rebuilding the country remains the duty of Nigerians and shouldn’t be left for external actors.
Obaseki spoke while addressing members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Of Nigeria (ICAN) who were at the Government House, Benin City.
He said, “At this time in our national development, we need to rebuild this country and it’s only Nigerians that can rebuild it. People will not come from outside to build and develop Nigeria for us. No matter the frustration and lamentations, we will do the hard work of building the nation. Institutes like yours have a great role to perform as it continues to set the standard as your Institute has achieved many great things over the years.”
Obaseki said his government through the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy will sustain efforts to foster accelerated human capital development within the state public service, in collaboration with ICAN and other institutions.
Obaseki stated, “On Saturday, we will be opening JOOPSA which is one of its kind in the sub-continent. It’s built by the state government for the training and development of public servants. The Institute is going to collaborate with a lot of institutes globally to enhance and strengthen the productivity and capacity of our public servants.
“Today, JOOPSA has developed a lot of relationships. It is not going to award certificates or degrees alone but will serve as an engine to strengthen service delivery, strengthening the capacity of our public servants as they work to deliver quality services to our people.”
He added, “In that light, we have courses slated to train our public servants in the areas of accounting, bookkeeping, and financial management, among others, and can’t find a better Institute that will give us the level of collaboration we need to help us develop and produce the quality of manpower needed by the Country”.
The governor further noted, “When we contact you for quality manpower, we are sure that your products are people who are diligent, and are of strong character and integrity. Your members have contributed and brought value to our government. Whatever we have contributed that made you rank the State third in your ranking has been largely contributed by your members who are in our government and that made us achieve the current position.
“Because of the value received and contributed by your members, we will make it a priority to hire more of your members into government. As a standing policy of my government, any Edo young person who makes a first class in any of the Nigerian universities gets automatic employment. I will give priority to qualified chartered accountants because we need them.”
In his response, Okwuosa commended the governor for his strides across various sectors of the state, adding, “As an Institute, we advocate for accountability and transparency in public finance management. ICAN accountability index which has been endorsed by the World Bank and International Federation of Accountants has helped to assess States’ performance in public finance management and Edo is ranked 3rd position in the 2020 ICAN AI from its bottom position in 2019.”
