Tinubu, Jonathan laud outgoing Head of Service Walson-Jack

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President Bola Tinubu, former President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, and his predecessor, Senator Seriake Dickson, among others, on Tuesday praised the outgoing Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack.

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They spoke at the presentation of two books, I Planted: A Memoir of Purposeful Service and Beyond the Mandate: A Memoir on Leadership, Legacy and Labour of Public Service, authored by Walson-Jack, at the Abuja Continental Hotel on Tuesday.

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Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, described the outgoing HOSF as a remarkable and distinguished public servant who repositioned the federal bureaucracy, making it more effective and efficient.

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The president said, “We gather for the presentation of her two books, but in reality, we are here to celebrate something much greater. We celebrate a life of selfless service, a career of exceptional leadership, and a service to humanity.

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“Mrs Walson-Jack occupies a particularly distinguished place in our public administration history. She has served at both the state and federal levels and has risen to Nigeria’s topmost bureaucrat as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

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“Very few public servants have had the breadth of experience, responsibility, and perspective that her journey presents. What makes today’s occasion even more remarkable is that while carrying the enormous responsibilities of her office, she has found the time and discipline to reflect, write, and document her experience.

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“That is not a small achievement by any means. It speaks to a woman who understands that public service is not only about what we do while in office, but also about what we leave behind for those that come after us.”

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Tinubu eulogised Walson-Jack as a public servant who understood the responsibility of her office as Head of Service.

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“I did not have to preach reform to her. She came into the office of Head of the Civil Service of the Federation with a clear understanding that the civil service must continuously evolve if it is to meet the demands of a rapidly changing Nigeria and an increasingly complex world. I have watched with admiration her efforts to reposition the federal civil service as a more responsive and result-oriented tool.”

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Jonathan, who attended the event with his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, also praised the Bayelsa-born bureaucrat, recalling her courage in moving from the older civil service in Rivers State to that of Bayelsa, which was created in 1996.

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He also recalled the challenge she faced when moving from the state to the federal civil service and how she was downgraded to the position of Assistant Director despite being a Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General of Bayelsa State at the time.

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“This was very demoralising but I encouraged her to take it and she accepted. Now she is retiring as not only a federal permanent secretary but also as Head of Service.

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“I said this because it happened to other Bayelsa permanent secretaries before her. When Alamieyeseigha was governor and I was the deputy governor, he said to me that we do not have our people in the federal civil service and that we needed to do something.

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“So, after he met with the Head of Service and the chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, we were asked to send some of our senior civil servants. Alamieyeseigha sent the names and CVs of permanent secretaries, including the most senior permanent secretary then. When the federal civil service graded them, the most senior perm sec, who was waiting to take over as the head of the civil service of the state, was given deputy director while the other permanent secretaries were given assistant directors. And none of them accepted to move to Abuja.

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“Some limitations or experiences in life might appear not very comfortable but God might use it to prepare you for something bigger.”

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While congratulating Walson-Jack on her retirement and commending her husband for being a pillar of support, Jonathan thanked Tinubu for appointing her on merit.

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“We appreciate the President for appointing our daughter. That appointment made her the first Bayelsan to hold that office. I do not know when we will get the next one because you have only one Head of Service of the nation at a time, and it is not that you rotate the office. So we are fortunate that we were able to get you and we are celebrating a meritorious retirement, and the end of a brilliant career.”

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The chief presenter of the books and Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, paid tribute to Walson-Jack, describing her as a woman of courage, exceptional intellect and discipline.

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The Bayelsa governor, accompanied by his wife, Dr Gloria Diri, also expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for appointing a daughter of the state in August 2024.

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He said, “We are gathered to honour a woman who has done herself, her family, our state, and indeed our nation proud.

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“A profound passage from one of her books, ‘I Planted: A Memoir of Purposeful Service,’ states: ‘Hardship endured in the service of something meaningful is not merely suffering; it is formation.’ That one sentence explains Mrs Walson-Jack. The hardship of service in the Niger Delta, in the State Civil Service, and at the pinnacle of the Federal Civil Service did not break her. It formed her. It formed the leader we celebrate today.”

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Diri recounted his working relationship with the celebrant during her time as Deputy Chief of Staff to former Governor Dickson while he was Principal Executive Secretary.

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“In that capacity, I saw first-hand the discipline, the intellect, and the quiet strength she brought to governance in Bayelsa State. She was the calm in the storm, the memory of the administration, and the conscience that reminded us that every decision must serve the people.

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“As she exits the Federal Civil Service after thirty-four years of unexampled and meritorious service spanning Rivers State, Bayelsa State, and the Federal Civil Service, we do not mark an end. We mark a transition from active service to enduring legacy.”

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In his remarks, Dickson thumbed up Walson-Jack, describing her as “a great servant of our people.”

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The immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State recalled how their paths crossed when Jonathan appointed him Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice while Walson-Jack was the ministry’s Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General of the state.

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He said she made his job easier due to her administrative acumen and that both of them succeeded in effecting reforms that transformed the state’s judiciary.

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Dickson also recounted his role in her career advancement and how he sought Jonathan’s approval on four occasions to either second her to Abuja or back to the state.

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“Dame Didi Walson-Jack served with me when I was Attorney-General. She was Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General, and together we did considerable work in building and strengthening the Ministry of Justice in Bayelsa State.

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“During my time in the House of Representatives, I sought opportunities to help her advance her career. President Jonathan approved a slot for me which was given to her to attend the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies for one year, providing her with an opportunity to broaden her experience.

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“When she completed her service at NIPSS, again at my instance, after presenting the matter to President Jonathan, he graciously approved her secondment and transfer to the Federal Civil Service.”

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Dickson further stated that when he became governor, he went again to Jonathan for her release on secondment to serve in the state and appointed her Commissioner of the Ministry of Science and Technology, after which she was again reposted to Abuja.

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He also thanked the President for appointing her, Jonathan for supporting her and the late Alamieyeseigha for appointing her the youngest Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General.

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The author of the books and retiring HOSF, Didi Walson-Jack, appreciated President Tinubu for giving her the opportunity to serve the administration and the country.

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She explained why she wrote the books.

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“The books are my attempt to set that record down honestly before memory does what memory always does. I did not set out to write a book that flatters me. I set out to place on record my own account of a system I have had the honour and privilege of serving. Its opportunities, its frustrations, its reforms, and the lessons I gathered along the way.

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“From the Ministry of Justice in a newly created Bayelsa State in 1996 to the office of a federal permanent secretary. These two books do not tell the story of my tenure as the head of the civil service of the federation. I’m sorry to disappoint some of you. That is a story that will be told on another day. For now, I have decided to give a peek into what we achieved by publishing the summary of our scorecard.”

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Walson-Jack, who will turn 60 on August 27, said the event marked both her retirement from public service and the documentation of her 34-year career.

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Other speakers included the Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Zulum; his Rivers counterpart, who was represented by the deputy governor, Prof Ngozi Ordu; the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha; and the incoming HOSF, Mr Abel Enitan, among others.

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The event was attended by senior state and federal government officials, former public office holders, members of the diplomatic community, traditional and political leaders, captains of industry and public servants, among others.

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One of the highlights was a prayer for Walson-Jack by octogenarian Ajoke Murtala-Mohammed, the widow of Nigeria’s late Head of State, Murtala Mohammed.

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