Ondo warns against sexual harassment in public service, introduces tougher rules

By Boye Oyeyemi –

The Ondo State Government has rolled out new extant rules for the public service, warning that offences such as sexual harassment could attract dismissal and criminal prosecution.

Mr Bayo Philip, Head of Service (HoS), issued the warning on Thursday in Akure during the First Annual General Meeting of the Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries of the South-West, hosted by the Ondo State chapter.

He said the civil service rules and policies had been reviewed to meet public expectations and modern governance standards.

According to him, maternity leave has been increased from three to six months, while a two-week paternity leave has also been introduced.

The HoS added that the service’s new mantra, “don’t deliver short and don’t deliver late”, is aimed at aligning the state’s workforce with 21st-century public service demands.

Philip further disclosed that Ondo State, which has 42,000 staff and 13,000 pensioners, has no arrears of staff promotion.

Also speaking, Mrs Mojisola Ajayi, state chair of the association, urged South-West governors to reform the civil service to eliminate dysfunctionality and restore efficiency, while the region’s president, Dr Ebenezer Okebukola, said the association had presented a blueprint for the South-West’s economic development to governors.