Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola has sworn in Mrs Oluseyi Williams as the 17th Head of Service in the State Public Service. The governor described her appointment as higher calling urging all stakeholders to give her possible support.
Fashola said: “You have heard her take oath from today that she will place public interest above her personal interest. She must refrain from those things as she has also sworn before God in our own presence that she will not act in any manner that is in conflict with the oath she has taken before God in our presence. Now, members of the family, friends and relations must help her keep that oath by praying for her and not putting pressure on her”.
The Governor wished Mrs Williams all the best as she leads the public service of Lagos State, saying the hours will be long but that even the outgoing Head of Service, Prince Adeseye Ogunlewe can testify that the rewards are enduring.
In her response, the new Head of Service, Mrs Oluseyi Williams gave all glory and adoration to God Almighty for the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of her career as the Head of Service.
Describing her appointment as Head of Service as the most unique opportunity in the career of a public servant, Mrs Williams expressed her gratitude to the Governor for the confidence reposed in her evident in her selection from over 50 Permanent Secretaries as the first professional to become the Head of Service in Lagos State.
Mrs Williams also thanked former Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who also had a lot of confidence in her ability during his tenure culminating in her becoming the first accountant to be appointed as a Permanent Secretary.
She pledged to continue from where her predecessor stopped in terms of the many reforms that are on-going in the public service and gave a commitment to serve diligently while carrying everybody along in the process.
Speaking earlier, while reading the bio-data of the new appointee, the outgoing Head of Service, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe said his tenure will come to an end on Tuesday, October 15th this year which happens to be a public holiday and that it is only fit and proper to hand over to his successor in office on the Monday before the public holiday.
He added that a recommendation was made to the Governor in line with Section 208 sub section 2B for the appointment of a new Head of Service and the same was thereafter approved by the Governor.
Mrs Josephine Oluseyi William until her present appointment served as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from the University of Lagos and a Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Science from the same institution.
She started her career in the Federal Civil Service as Accountant Grade 1 on GL 09 in 1980 and later joined the Lagos State Civil Service on transfer in 1985 as Chief Accountant on Grade Level 14.
Mrs Williams was appointed in June 1994 as the State Auditor General and served in that position till 1995 when she was appointed as the State Accountant General and was seconded to the State University Ojo as Bursar between 1996 and 1999.
Those at the event include members of the State Executive Council and former Heads of service, Mr Rafiu Tinubu, Chief F.A.O. Adeyemi, Mr Akinsanya Sunny Ajose, members of the Body of Permanent Secretaries including Architect Yetunde Ajayi from Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, former Permanent Secretary, Mrs Caroline Aromire –Bello and the spouse of the new Head of Service, Engineer Mobolaji Olanrewaju.
