The Head of Service (HOS) in Ogun State, Abayomi Sobande on Monday retired upon clocking the mandatory 35 years in the state’s civil service.
The HOS, and 14 permanent secretaries had put in 35 years into the public service while others had reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 years.
Speaking on Monday at the sendforth for the retiring civil servants at Arcade Ground, State secretriat complex in Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, Governor Ibikunle Amosun commended them for their service to the state, adding that they had performed their duties wonderfully well.
While extolling the virtues of the HOS, the governor said he was always calm, but firm in taking tough decisions.
He added that Sobande almost missed the chance of being made the HOS, because the report from the security and the internal sources, had described him as a ‘non-conformist’ due to his non-compromising disposition.
Amosun said, “Some of the attributes that people said that he possessed almost made him miss being appointed as of the time we were looking for a head of service.
“When we consulted and asked that people should write reviews for Head of Service-hopeful, the reviews they sent were not the qualities I had thought I wanted.
“If not for God. They wrote that he’s a non-conformist. Sobande even used the word himself during the reviews.
“I never regretted the decision I took. He is never shy of taking tough decisions. I commend him for that. Under those calmness, there you will see his fairness.”
The retired permanent secretaries who had retired between 2015 and 2018 include Abiodun Adewolu, Adeoye Bakare, Ayodele Jolaoso, Oladipo Odeyemi, Funmi Ajayi, Steve Ipinniwa, Abiola Gbadamosi, Babatunde Agbaje and Elijah Akinyemi.
Others include Joseph Fabi, Mukaila Dosunmu, Ademola Adelana, Afis Osolase, and Olufemi Kushimo.
