The Permanent Secretary of the State House, Temitope Fashedemi, on Tuesday hailed retiring staff of the Presidency, saying their “years of quiet service still count” and will be formally celebrated every year going forward.
Speaking at a reception for the retirees at the State House Conference Centre, Fashedemi said the State House would institutionalise annual reward systems so careers no longer “end in silence.”
He urged the retirees to remain part of the State House family, saying their institutional memory and mentorship would continue to matter in the years ahead.
He encouraged them to share advice when needed and keep in touch with former colleagues.
“Your service is valuable. Don’t be a stranger to us, reach out to your colleagues here whenever necessary,” he added.
The Permanent Secretary asserted that welfare, recognition and rewards are now priorities in public service management and will guide how the Presidency honours its workers.
He decried the old culture where officials vanished from duty roles without ceremony, noting that the State House would keep faith with reforms that dignify service.
“We must mark exits with gratitude, not indifference.
“Somebody cannot spend 35 years of their life and just stop showing up, as if nothing happened.
“We thought it was a flaw, and celebrating people when they excel is now codified in the public service.
If we don’t celebrate ourselves, nobody will celebrate us,” Fashedemi told the gathering.
The Permanent Secretary explained that the first edition since his coming to the State House was timed to pull in as many retirees as possible, including those who left months earlier, and promised that subsequent editions would hold routinely.
He also said each honouree would receive a tangible gift in appreciation of service.
“We want to gather as many as possible to celebrate you. We will also ensure everybody goes home with a tangible gift,” he stated.
Fashedemi said the event aligns with ongoing Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP)25 service-wide reforms that elevate staff welfare—safe workspaces, proper tools, and structured recognition—so “commitment is noticed.”
Speaking on behalf of the retirees, Dr Acho Terungwa, asked the Permanent Secretary, Temitope Fashedemi, “create a niche” for State House staff who, he said, do not enjoy any special perks despite public perception.
“We as doctors, nurses and other health personnel may not be special people, but the services we offer are special.”
He urged Fashedemi to conduct a hands-on review of the hospital.
“Leave secretaries aside. Take a first hand look at the State House clinic. If you do that, you can take it to the next level at the end of the day,” said Terungwa.
Representative of the Chairman, Medical Advisory Council, State House Medical Centre, Dr. Ngozi Mmamelu, said the facility had “moved on” from its troubled past and is now working as a unified team to restore its reputation.
“We have moved on from that scenario, and everybody is working together, all hands are on deck to bring back the glory,” the official told guests.
Crediting the support of the Permanent Secretary and other senior officials, Mmamelu noted that medical staff across cadres are aligned on service standards, patient experience and reliability of critical units.
Retirees at the reception spanned various cadres, including Directors such as Osunkoya Omokehfe; Medical Doctors, including Acho Terungwa and Taiwo Fasoranti, the Secretary to the Government of Ondo State; Stock Verifiers like Bala Matti; Accounts Officers, including Kough Emmanuel and Duniya Dogo; Executive Officers like technical and works leads Shobande Waheed, Lawal Taofeek and Jimoh Ayinde and Chief Driver Mechanics, including Abalaka Abdullahi, Sani Ali, Dauda Yahaya, Iliyas Ibrahim, among many others received parting gifts.
