By Sola Lebile
The very day Mr. Kayode Ogundele, FCIPM, clocked a year in the saddle as the Ondo State Head of Service, precisely August 3rd, the CIPM team paid a solidarity visit, saluting him for his transformative endeavours. The Chairman of the State branch, Mr. Ayodeji Ageh led the team.
Peeping through some of his achievements, he spoke about prioritizing workers’ welfare, training, and exceptionally building cordial relationship with stakeholders, among others.
He stressed the point that upon assumption on duty, he facilitated the payment of the backlog of gratuities of affected staff of The Hope newspaper, visited the House of Assembly, and Civil Service Commission to strengthen relationship, and approved capacity building workshops for workers to enhance better service delivery to mention but a few.
Even then, many people blew the whistle (even to Mr. Governor’s ears) that he is the right choice given his outstanding pedigree.
He reminisced the Committee he chaired years back on the right sizing/downsizing of the OSCR staff and for which its recommendations were approved without any alteration by the Board and are also being put to use till date.
The Head of Service’s reaction to the issue raised was reassuring, He said “We will intervene on that (CIPM induction fee and land issue.) They have (the authority involved) promised to rectify the wrong done to CIPM by allocating a new one at airport area”.
It was amazing to note that the Head of Service has stayed connected to the CIPM annual conference since his affinity with the institute about thirty years ago.
Hear him: “Since 1994 till date, I don’t compromise, I only missed the conference once, only once”.
He advised everyone to attend the CIPM 55th national conference holding in Abuja by November.
Again, the Head of Service was sympathetic to those intending members who would have to pay a high fee to enrol in CIPM in the face of the prevailing economic challenge in the country. He said CIPM was giving value for money though.
Assuring the team, he said: “We will continue to support the institute, both at the state and national level” adding . It is ours ,we will support the institute.”
He spoke in response to the earlier remark by Ageh who brought the Head of Service attention to three pressing issues of:
(i) the re- allocation of land wrongfully taken from the branch and still dragging even two decades after;
(ii,) the hike in enrollment fees to get enlisted into the Institute; and
(iii) seeking, as usual, government’s sponsorship of members to the upcoming national conference.
The CIPM team capped its visitation with the presentation of a birthday day gift to the celebrant (HoS), although coming a week after the day.
Indeed, the Head of Service’s dedication to duty is self- evident.
With wisdom and innovations, he has been pushing for reform and changes that have short and long term impacts such that from all sides, his scorecard has been a roaring success!
