TINUBU COMMENDS WALSON-JACK’S LEGACY AT BOOK LAUNCH, TASKS CIVIL SERVICE ON RESULTS
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday commended the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, HCSF, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, for her legacy of institution-building, as he charged the civil service to focus on delivering tangible results to Nigerians.
Tinubu spoke at the public presentation of two memoirs authored by Walson-Jack, “I Planted: A Memoir of Purposeful Service” and “Beyond the Mandate: A Memoir on Leadership, Legacy & Labour of Public Service”. The event held at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Abuja Continental Hotel, marked the end of her 34-year career in public service.
Represented by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, the President said the occasion was beyond a book launch, describing it as a celebration of “a life of purposeful service, a career of institutional leadership, and a legacy being consciously built.”`
“Holding office is temporary. Institutions endure. Titles come and go. What remains is the impact we make, the people we develop, the institutions we strengthen and the values we leave behind,” Tinubu said.
He noted that despite the demands of the office of Head of Service, Walson-Jack documented her experiences for present and future generations, demonstrating that public service is about what is left behind.
The President highlighted that a professional, competent, ethical and citizen-centred civil service was critical to the success of the Renewed Hope Agenda. He stressed that government policies must ultimately pass through the civil service, from formulation to delivery.
“Governments may change. Political leadership may change. Policies may evolve, but the machinery of government must retain the institutional memory, technical competence and discipline required to sustain the Nigerian state,” he said.
Tinubu described Walson-Jack as a reformer who understood that the civil service must evolve to meet the demands of a changing Nigeria. He said reforms under his administration were designed to move the service “from routine administration to purposeful delivery, from activities to outcomes, and from processes to systems that provide better value for citizens.”
The President cited the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 and the successor 2026-2030 plan, as well as the ongoing integration of IPPIS with the Human Resource Management System, HRMS, as key steps to strengthen accountability and payroll integrity.
“Digitalisation must remain a priority for a modern Nigerian public service,” he said, urging ministries to extend reforms across the wider public sector.
Tinubu stated further that the requirement for ministers to report regularly on the Renewed Hope Agenda was creating a culture where government is judged by delivery, not announcements. He disclosed that he monitors performance through the dashboard of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit.
“As we build a more prosperous and inclusive Nigeria, we need a civil service that is not only capable of administering government, but capable of delivering results,” he said.
Tinubu concluded by urging public servants to treat competence as a duty, integrity as non-negotiable, and service to Nigerians as the ultimate purpose of public office.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who attended with his wife, Patience, commended President Tinubu for appointing Walson-Jack as the first Bayelsan to serve as Head of Service and called for greater emphasis on merit and integrity in public appointments.
He applauded her resilience and dogged determination to excel despite career setbacks, noting how she accepted a demotion from Permanent Secretary to Assistant Director when she moved to the federal service and rose steadily to the pinnacle of her career. He urged young officers to emulate her spirit of perseverance and humility in service
In her remarks, Walson-Jack disclosed that the books documented her journey from a Youth Corper in Rivers State in 1992 to the peak of the federal civil service.
“Thirty-four years is long enough to plant institutions, systems and people, and to watch some of them grow taller than you. It is also long enough to make mistakes, to learn, to be humbled,” she said.
The HCSF explained that “I Planted” captured her philosophy of building and mentoring, while “Beyond the Mandate” argued that “a mandate should be regarded as a floor, not a ceiling.”
She clarified that the books do not cover her tenure as Head of Service. “That is a story that will be told at another day,” Walson-Jack added
Bayelsa Governor, Senator Douye Diri, who presented “I Planted”, and Rivers Deputy Governor, Dr. Ngozi Odu, who represented Governor Siminalayi Fubara, also praised Walson-Jack’s contributions to institutional reform and labour relations.
The event marked the final days of Walson-Jack’s tenure as HCSF. President Tinubu has appointed Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan as her successor, effective August 27, with a mandate to consolidate reforms and deepen results-oriented governance.`
