The Ondo state Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, has commissioned the newly renovated Executive Bar building of the Senior Staff Club in Akure, promising that his administration will continue to prioritise the welfare of public servants in the state.
Commissioning the edifice which was named after the former Head of Service who was serving when the club was established, Prince Fioye Bajowa, Governor Akeredolu commended the executives of the club for a job well done and enjoined them to sustain the culture of cheaper drinks and affordable items at the club.
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu urged civil servants in the state to patronise the club at all times, which he noted that the rationale behind its establishment was to provide a social forum for them to unwind and interact with one another.
Governor Akeredolu who was represented by his Special Adviser on Union Matters and Special Duties, Mr Dare Aragbaye, however warned civil servants against discussing political matters in the club.
He stressed that his administration stand on excluding civil servants from politics was to insulate and protect their career which could be jeopardised by their involvement in partisan politics.
Akeredolu who is the grand patron of the club, said he was proud of the public servants in the state, noting that he will continue to speedily attend to their needs and welfare.
Also speaking, the Head of Service of the State, Pastor Kayode Ogundele, who doubles as the patron of the club, appreciated the Governor for prioritising the welfare of the public servants in the state, even during the era of fuel subsidy removal by providing them with palliatives, even before other members of the public started receiving theirs.
Ogundele explained that the purpose of the club was to provide an avenue for public servants to exchange ideas that will improve their capacity at work and not to engage on political discussions.
According to the number one civil servant in the state, the public service has always thrived well under the governor, who without delays attends to its needs and welfare.
Ogundele praised the Governor for tarring the roads leading to the club, apart from regular payment of salaries, payment of leave bonuses, promotion of civil servants with immediate financial benefits, revealing that the permanent secretaries in the state will soon receive an SUV car each, as their official vehicles.
He said government has also made arrangement for the purchase of CNG buses for the transportation of public servants in the state.
Earlier, the President of the Club, Comrade Dr. Olayemi Olaniyi in his address, said the renovation was a thought after the Head of Service counsel on the need to give face lifts to the buildings in the club rather than embarking on new ones that could not be maintained in the long run.
Dr Olaniyi disclosed that the Executive Bar was strategic to the club, being the first building of the club, and was renovated to provide a befitting and decent environment for senior public servants to have fun at the club.
While soliciting for the support of the club members to move the place forward, Comrade Dr. Olaniyi appreciated the immense contribution of the state governor in tarring the roads and called for more assistance particularly in upgrading the parking lots in the club.
