News Investigators/ Vice-President Kashim Shettima has identified the Federal Civil Service as the bedrock and stabilising force of Nigeria, urging experienced public servants to continue contributing their expertise to governance.
Mr Shettima, represented by Dr Aliyu Modibbo, Special Adviser to the Vice-President on Special Duties, spoke in Abuja on Thursday at the unveiling of two books by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan.
The books, Making Reforms Work: Leadership Lessons from the Implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and Help of God, document Yemi-Esan’s public service experience, especially her tenure as Head of Service.
The Vice-President urged retired public servants and professionals with vast experience to accept opportunities to serve whenever called upon, stressing that their knowledge remained valuable to national development.
He said government needed to draw from the reservoir of knowledge and experience of retired public servants at both state and federal levels.
“The civil service is the bedrock of this federation. It’s the stability of the system and there is a reason for us to maintain stability of the system.
“Please, if you are offered an appointment, even if it is Senior Special Assistant, take it because of the system, not because you pass that position.
“Also, the system should employ this reservoir of knowledge from the state level to the federal level. We are not doing it for anything, just because we want the system to be stable, grow and be enriched.
“So it’s very important if at any moment you are called to serve, please do it. There is nothing honourable than serving our country,” he said.
The reviewer of Making Reforms Work, Alhaji Bukar Goni-Aji, a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, called it ‘an honest account of the challenges and achievements of reforming Nigeria’s civil service’.
Goni-Aji said the 14-chapter book covered Yemi-Esan’s five-year tenure from September 2019 to August 2024 and was anchored on the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2025.
He said the book documented the difficult gap between policy formulation and implementation, particularly the processes through which reforms translated into tangible changes for citizens.
Goni-Aji said Yemi-Esan demonstrated institutional discipline by continuing an existing reform programme rather than abandoning it for a new initiative.
He said she also distributed responsibility for reforms among permanent secretaries, thereby increasing their prospects of sustainability beyond the tenure of an individual Head of Service.
The reviewer commended Yemi-Esan for documenting failures and unfinished aspects of the reform process, describing such openness as uncommon in Nigeria’s public service.
Goni-Aji said the book documented challenges during Yemi-Esan’s tenure, including a ransomware attack on the electronic content management platform of her office on July 10, 2023.
He said the attack disrupted official work as officers were unable to log in to the platform.
He added that a nationwide verification exercise uncovered 1,618 officers with unverifiable appointment letters, while more than 2,600 officers who failed to present themselves were referred to the ICPC.
He said salaries of 11,447 officers were also placed on hold.
Goni-Aji recommended the book to permanent secretaries, directors, state heads of service, students and teachers of public administration, political leaders and private-sector managers.
Reviewing Help of God, Prof. Johnson Orogun, a professor of Business Administration, said the 125-page, seven-chapter book was a testimony to divine providence, integrity, discipline and purposeful public service.
Orogun said the book presented Yemi-Esan’s career progression as evidence of divine preparation, mentorship, family values and perseverance, rather than merely ambition.
He said her experiences showed that difficult seasons could become opportunities for new beginnings, while delays could serve as preparation for greater responsibilities.
The current Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, congratulated Yemi-Esan for documenting her stewardship and preserving valuable lessons for present and future public servants.
Walson-Jack said Yemi-Esan had left behind “a full reform agenda, several moving trains, and a clear expectation that none of them should remain at the station.”
She added that the current administration had continued to advance the reforms.
Responding, Yemi-Esan expressed gratitude to God, her family, colleagues and partners for supporting her career and reform efforts in the Federal Civil Service.
She said the two books reflected a common theme of service, purpose and God’s guidance.
Yemi-Esan said leadership was a privilege and that public office holders were custodians who should strive to leave institutions stronger than they found them.
She attributed the successes of her reform agenda to collective efforts and commended permanent secretaries, civil servants, organised labour, professional bodies, development partners and private-sector organisations.
She also appreciated former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan, the late Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu for the opportunities to serve under their administrations.
Yemi-Esan also acknowledged former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo for his support for public service reforms.
She urged young public servants to regard public service as a noble calling and encouraged leaders to learn from the successes and challenges documented in the books.
Yemi-Esan said retirement was not the end of her service journey but another chapter in a continuing story of service.
She added that whatever achievements were recorded during her tenure were the result of collective efforts.
The event was attended by former and serving public officials, senior civil servants, academics, family members and other dignitaries.
They celebrated Yemi-Esan’s contributions to Nigeria’s public service and commitment to institutional reform.
NAN