By Austin Ogwuda
“We are going to miss you, the civil service will miss you, the machinery of government will miss you, you are retired but you are not tired, and your service is still needed”.
These were the words of the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori at the grand reception of in honour of the retired Permanent Secretary, Government House Administration, Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje held today (Sunday) at the Events Centre, Asaba, Delta State capital, Nigeria.
Governor Oborevwori described Ogidi-Gbegbaje as an intelligent, humble, diligent, transparent, process driven, selfless, accountable and compassionate bureaucrat and urged civil servants to emulate his sterling virtues.
Said he, “a lot has been said about Sir Eddy Ogidi-Gbegbaje and I also have a personal experience about him while I was Speaker and in the last seven months as Governor of Delta State, we have worked very closely and he helped me to settle down quickly.
“Sir Ogidi-Gbegbaje played his role very well, he is diligent in his duties and was always giving good and useful advise wherever he worked.
“Your service to humanity is something worth emulating and I must say that I enjoyed working with you. I congratulate you for 35 years of unblemished and meritorious service to the government and people of Delta State.
“I want other civil servants to emulate your commitment to duty. So my message to other civil servants is that they should emulate Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje.
“If you look at his journey in the civil service from Bendel to Delta, you see his commitment to duty. Today, he has finished strong and we rejoice with him and his family”.
Earlier at the thanksgiving mass held at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church, West End, Asaba, Very Rev. Father Peter Mobuogwu in his homily, urged those in authority to serve the people very well just as Christ came to serve and not to be served.
He said public service should be a glorious avenue to render service to the people and commended Sir Ogidi-Gbegbaje for putting 35 years of his career in the service of Deltans.
The cleric charged public servants to serve the people as if they were handling their own private businesses just as the celebrant had served.
The celebrant, Sir Ogidi-Gbegbaje said the thanksgiving was special for him because although his parents were successful in the civil service, they died before they were due for retirement and thanked God for his successful career and retirement from the civil service.
Photo: courtesy Press Unit, Government House Asaba
Caption: Delta Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori (right), wife of former Governor of Delta, Dame Edith Okowa (left), the retired Permanent Secretary, Government House Asaba, Sir. Eddy Ogidi-Gbegbaje (middle) and his wife, Theresa, at the Thanksgiving reception of the retired PS in Asaba on Sunday.
Pix: Enarusai Bripin
