Gov. Godwin Obaseki on Saturday in Benin formally inaugurated a public service academy named after the first executive governor of the state, John Odigie-Oyegun.

Mr Odigie-Oyegun was the governor of Edo between 1992 and 1993 during the aborted Nigerian third republic.

He was also the first national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Obaseki said the John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) is an institution positioned to transform civil and public service delivery and bridge knowledge gaps in pursuit of excellence.

He also described the academy as a centre of excellence in capacity building.

According to him, the academy is a key fulcrum in the service-wide institutional reforms which have been implemented in Edo in the past six years.

The reforms, he added, aimed at transforming the service into a nimble, functional and digitally-driven bureaucracy.

“The goal is that our workforce can compete favourably with the best across the globe, with support from JOOPSA.

“Government embarked on the task of setting up the John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy on the premise that only a well-skilled workforce can drive meaningful and impactful change in governance.

“With the rollout of the state’s e-governance work mode, there is the need for such a facility to upgrade the skills and knowledge base of the workforce to reflect emerging realities in the workplace.

“The state is set to be the most digitised public service in Nigeria.

“This is on account of the investment in digital infrastructure, having laid more than 600 kilometres of fibre cable across the 18 local government areas of the state.

“The Academy is named after Chief Odigie-Oyegun, who embodies the fine ethos of integrity, fidelity and excellence,’’ Mr Obaseki said.

The governor explained that his administration was committed to investing in capacity building through JOOPSA so as to enable public servants to live up to the mandate of optimal services to the public.

The effort, he said, would also help the state workforce to handle the horde of private investors rushing to take advantage of the business climate in the state.

In his remarks, the former head of the civil service of the federation, Steve Oronsaye, applauded the Obaseki-led government for the initiative.

“Without a motivated workforce, no administration can deliver on its mandate. This is why a place like this is needed,’’ he said.

In his speech, Mr Odigie-Oyegun appreciated the people of Edo, particularly Mr Obaseki, for the honour.

(NAN)