LGSC experts advocate deliberate reading culture for self-development

By Richard Akintade, Osogbo

The Coordinating Director in Osun State Local Government Service Commission (LGSC), Barr. Lekan Babalola has advocated reading for self-development.

He said reading is a tool for towering above others in any profession.

He observed that reading for a particular purpose, at a particular time, in the case of an examination can be easily done by anybody as knowledge acquired at that particular time may not live with someone because it is usually temporal.

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Barr. Babalola gave the advice while declaring open a day orientation training for the newly converted Administrative Officers in the State Local Government Service.

While emphasising the need for the Administrative Officers to be avid readers, the Coordinating Director counseled them: “Every matter in the service must of necessity pass through your table. It therefore becomes imperative for you to know something about everything in order to enable you have an informed opinion, and be able to make reasonable decision on any issue.”

Describing the Officers as the creme of the service, who would later occupy leadership positions, Babalola, who recalled how he, along with his contemporaries in the the local government service were integrated into the mainstream of the civil service, enthused, “Because of our prior training and experience, we were not found wanting.

“Leadership position is not easy; it is highly competitive. You must therefore take training and retraining very seriously in order to be able to contest for leadership positions, and to be equiped to grapple with future leadership challenges”, he further advanced.

The LGSC boss then promised that the Commission will continue to accord training and retraining a topmost priority in order to make room for sustainable leadership in the local government service.

In his words of admonition to the newly converted officers, the Chairman, Forum of Administrative Officers in the Local Government Service, Mr. Hakeem Lawal charged them to walk worthy of the cadre in conduct, dressing and carriage.

While appreciating the Governor and the organising LGSC for the approval and execution of the induction programme respectively, Mr Lawal implored the Commission not to relent in its training endeavor.

Earlier in his highlight of the training package, the Resource Team Leader, Dr. Lekan Ashifat who delivered a paper on, “Public Service Ethics and Local Government Administration:The Way Forward”, had assured the participants that the training will encourage and assist them to build capacity for their new assignment, adding that as Administrative Officers they must be able to show leadership and direction in the local government.

Other topics explored at the training session by Dr. Ademola Adisa and Mr. Oladipo Bamidele, include: “Positive Attitude to Work: A Panacea For Effective and Efficient Service Delivery in Local Government Administration as well as “E-Governance in Local Government Administration:The Role of Administrative Officers”