The Ondo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists has congratulated Oluwadare Aragbaiye on his inauguration as the Ondo State Head of Service by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
The congratulatory message was issued on Tuesday in Akure by its General Secretary, Leke Adegbite.
The message said the union had also congratulated the new HoS in a letter dated July 3, saying: “The appointment is a clear testimony of Mr Aragbaiye’s qualities as a reliable, efficient, humble, competent and trustworthy top civil servant.
“NUJ believes that these qualities will enable the new HoS to reposition the state civil service for a better output.
“We, however, look forward to a smooth working relationship between his office and media professionals for progress and development of the state.”
The union also pleaded with the governor and the new HoS to use their positions to elevate at least three directors in the state Ministry of Information to the level of permanent secretaries.
It said: “NUJ notes that such will correct age-long marginalisation of its senior members at the ministry where only one permanent secretary (retired almost 20 years ago) was appointed since the creation of the state in 1976.
“It is the hope of the union that Gov. Akeredolu as a legal Icon and the new HoS as a man of justice will halt this case of injustice to its members at the ministry of information, especially when appointment of new set of permanent secretaries will be carried out, as it was recently done in some states like Abia, Edo, Adamawa, Gombe, Borno, Bauchi and Niger states.”
It will be recalled that similar demand was made by Ondo NUJ in November 2016 in its congratulatory letter to Akeredolu on his election.