By Ufuoma Weyinmi Onovughakpo
The Permanent Secretary, Government House and Protocol, Delta State, Sir Edwin Egwonomu Ogidi-Gbegbaje has meritoriously retired from the State Civil Service.
He officially retired on attainment of 35 years of eventful service to the State Civil Service.
At a Valedictory Lecture in Asaba on Wednesday, 3rd of January, 2024, to honour and mark his official retirement, Ogidi-Gbegbaje urged civil servants to at all times maintain confidentiality and adhere to ethics and standards in order for them to conduct themselves with higher level of integrity and avoid conflict of interest, and maintain the culture of treating all individuals fairly and impartially.
The astute administrator retirement party which was organized by friends and well-wishers attracted top government functionaries, captains of industries, clergymen, traditional rulers, civil servants, Labour Union, professional bodies amongst other.
Ogidi-Gbegbaje charged civil servants to be neutral in upholding the rules and regulations of the service, and ought to be seen and not heard.
Ogidi-Gbegbaje noted that on attainment of my 35 years of service to the State, it was with great please, humility and deep sense of appreciation that he salute everyone present at the event honouring him and marking his official retirement.
He said “I wish to specially thanked my bosses and superiors in the course of my career as Rookie administrative officer in the then defunct Bendel State Civil service, from 1989-1991; then as a middle management officer in the Delta civil service at state creation in 1991, to year 2010; and subsequently to a top government functionary on my appointment as Permanent Secretary (PS) in 2010, till today, Jan 3rd, 2024. Which marks my official retirement on attainment of my 35 years of eventful service to our fatherland and humanity.”
Ogidi-Gbegbaje disclosed that he was surprised to received the programme of his retirement from friends, colleagues, forebears and well wishes congratulating him on his imminent retirement. Reading and listening to people goodwill messages and encomiums lift his spirit and left him astonished at the same time.that it was a great honour to see Deltans both young and old coming out en-mass to celebrate the memories of his service career; and so, he eagerly kept pace with the programme of events from afar till these day, says himself.’
He maintained that the government would remain steadfast in its support to civil servants, that by the streams of mentorship his humble self and colleagues have put in place, the statute of efficiency, effectiveness and serviceability was being bequeathed to the generation of very dynamic, vibrant and result oriented officers.
Adding that what was required of them is to be given the opportunity to prove themselves; and to be motivated and encouraged by means of state sponsorship to attend relevant top management courses ( local and international) to enhance their performance.
Ogidi-Gbegbaje gave special appreciation to Chief James Onanefe Ibori, for providing the enabling environment and the sub structure for human capital development and his open door policy of all inclusiveness that birthed a tradition of conviviality between the political masters and the civil servants in the state.
“These has been sustained by the subsequent administrations evidence in the Dr. E Eweta Uduaghan’s administration on to the purposeful Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa’s-led administration and the current administration, under the leadership of the very promising Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff Oborevwori.” He asserted