The Government of Ekiti State has assured workers in the State of its commitment and focus to continue building their capacity for optimum performance.

The State Governor Dr Kayode Fayemi stated this when he received members of the Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries of Ekiti State at the weekend.

Fayemi, who described civil servants as essential drivers of government policies, said his administration has set up an Institute of Governance at the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, to exclusively train civil servants.

He also promised to strengthen the civil service transformation programme he started during his first term in office by appointing a Permanent Secretary to focus exclusively on capacity development, adding that government would soon carry out an update on public service reforms and rules and regulation he put in place during his first term in office.

He said:

“When I was here the first time, we established an Institute of Governance which was supposed to be an equivalence of Institute of Administration that was attached to the Western Region Public Service in Ife.

“I have mandated the Head of Service to work with the new Permanent Secretary in charge of capacity development to restructure the one we have in Ekiti State University specifically dedicated to civil servants so that we can use it as a training ground for them.”

The governor assured the retired Heads of service and permanent secretaries that after necessary consultations, he would embark on payment of their 50 percent pension parity adding that welfare of the senior citizens is paramount in his heart.

Earlier, the chairman of the association, Chief Abiodun Ajayi stated the objectives of the association to include serving as a vehicle of development by making its views available on any contemporary issue that would promote the interest of Ekiti state in general and public service in particular.

While commending the governor for the regular payment of salaries and pension, Chief Ajayi implored the government to look into the issue of parity of pension of their members who retired long ago as well as ensuring the reforms of the public service to achieve better service delivery.