Delta Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, has urged retired top civil servants in the state to support the mentoring of civil servants for effective service delivery.

He made the call on Wednesday in Asaba when members of Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries (ASORHOPS) visited him.

The governor said that it was necessary for the retired senior civil servants to be involved in mentoring of persons still in service, because they would not like to see the collapse of civil service in the state.

“No one leaves a place and watches it collapse; there is a lot of roles for you (ASORHOPS) to play to ensure that the civil service you left behind can still be very effective in the delivery of services.

“If these classes of people are involved in training and mentorship, we will have a better system. It is my prayer that this partnership that has been started will continue to grow,” he said.

He commended the association for providing the state government with compendium for the refocusing of civil service in the state.

“I must appreciate you for pulling resources of your own and sacrificing your time to produce this report about how we can have an effective civil service. It shows your passion for an effective system.

“This is a very positive visit which will help us to improve in governance, because I have always insisted that there is no way the political class can work without the civil service.

“We can achieve much more with an effective civil service.

“We preach discipline among political office holders and heads of departments; when your head is disciplined, the tendency for all the subordinates to be disciplined is there.

“As an individual, I wake up daily by 5 am; why should I be sleeping when there is work to be done?

“There are still some civil servants that are making us proud and the upcoming ones should emulate them because there is something good in working hard,” the governor said.

While disclosing that his administration was working hard to surmount the challenges of pensions, he disclosed that the Central Secretariat complex being constructed by his administration would be inaugurated in the first quarter of 2020.

According to him, with the completion of the multi-billion naira edifice, 24 hours power supply will be available to all government offices to ensure enhanced service delivery in the state.

Earlier, Chairman of ASORHOPS, Mr Okey Ofili, had in an address, said that the association was in partnership with the government to create prosperity for all Deltans. He said that it was against that backdrop that the association decided to task members financially and otherwise, to produce a report on “Revitalizing and Repositioning of Delta State Civil Service” which the government could leverage on to drive its SMART Agenda.

Ofili expressed gratitude to the state government for regular and prompt payment of pension to retired officials.

According to him, as we speak, we have been paid our August, 2019 pension.

The chairman also lauded the governor for engaging members of the association as chairmen and members of boards and commissions.

He also thanked the governor for “the favourable consideration of our welfare, particularly with regard to financial assistance to the families of our deceased members.”

•Photo by Bripin Enarusai shows Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa (right), Head of the State Civil Service, Mr Reginald Bayoko (left), and the Permanent Secretary, Government House and Protocol, Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje (middle), shortly after the presentation of Report on the Reorganization and Repositioning of the State Civil Service to the Governor by the Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries, in Asaba.

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