LASG Intensifies Training For Local Government Personnel

The Fourth Batch of ongoing training for personnel of Local Government Council and Local Council Development Areas (LGAs/LCDAs) by the Lagos State Government kicked off today at The Zone Hall and Event Centre, Gbagada.

The two-day training facilitated by the Office of the Local Government Establishments, Training and Pensions for 50 officers on Grade Levels 12 to 14 in the Unified Local Government Service had as topic: “Developing Job Descriptions”.

Speaking at the training programme, the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Local Government Establishments, Training and Pensions, Mrs. Kikelomo Bolarinwa, said the training was in line with the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to build capacity of the State’s workforce across all divides.

Her words: “This administration is very particular about training because if you don’t train them, you can’t blame them. People must be aware of their responsibilities and expectations before their performance can be appraised”.

“We also realised that there are performance gaps identified in the Unified Local Government Service and the training was curated to bridge those gaps. The choice of “Developing Job Descriptions” is to let the officers know their roles and the expectations of their employers so that they can be more efficient”, she said.

Mrs. Bolarinwa revealed that her Office made excellent choices and went far beyond the usual to choose the facilitators for the training, which comprise public servants as well as certified private and industry-renowned consultants to deliver excellent results through the training.

While acknowledging the support of the leadership of the Office of the Local Government Establishments, Training and Pensions in respect of the training, the Permanent Secretary said expectations from the beneficiaries is attitudinal change.

“We want the staff of the LGAs/LCDAs to have a growth mindset and to see themselves at par with the mainstream personnel. We want to develop their capacity and we want the training to show in their deliverables as we expect that they will become partners in progress with the political appointees in order to achieve the goals of their various LGAs/LCDAs”, she stated.

A participant and Senior Executive Officer (Finance) in Ikeja Local Government, Mr. Oladeji Ajayi, commended the State Government for organising the workshop, which he described as first-class, adding that such training will bring great improvement in the service delivery by LGAs/LCDAs.

“I believe it makes us think beyond the public service and it opens our understanding on what the Service expects of every officer. Kudos to the Government and I don’t expect less from Lagos which is the Centre of Excellence”, he stated.