Upskill beyond basic training, Oyo charges civil servants

Oyo State civil servants have been charged to seek knowledge beyond their present human capacity training in order to remain relevant in office.

The state Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Prof. Abdulwaheed Adelabu, gave the charge on Friday while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after declaring open a one-day training workshop for 85 workers on a series of capacity-building sessions.

The training, organised by the state government, was held at the Simeon Adebo Staff Development Centre, Secretariat, Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

“Civil servants need to undergo more training and acquire additional skills that will enhance their efficiencies and responsibilities at the state level,” the commissioner said.

According to him, “the government, through the Simeon Adebo Staff Development Centre, is not relenting in ensuring that all cadres in the service are trained; both the academic and non-academic staff are working to sustain the legacy of Simeon Adebo.”

Addressing the economic situation in the country, Adelabu assured all that the welfare of workers remained a priority for the state governor, ‘Seyi Makinde.

He noted that the economic hardship is not peculiar to Oyo State alone, adding that the government has been doing its best to cushion the effects.

“A couple of years back, it was only in Oyo State that we had an initiative called Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER). Also, there is a fuel subsidy allowance of N10,000 for each worker to ease transportation burden, as well as buses to convey them to and from different locations,” Adelabu said.

He added that Oyo State ranks among the three best states in Nigeria in terms of workers’ welfare, based on economic indices.

The workshop comprised four groups of participants, including auditors, account officers, secretaries and train-the-trainers, drawn from 25 ministries, departments and agencies.

Adelabu encouraged participants to “learn to earn” in order to increase their sources of income.