Why Adebo, Akinyele civil service era was remarkable – Olaopa
The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has explained the remarkable performance of the civil service during the era of notable public administrators like the late Chief Simeon Adebo and the late Chief Theophilus Adeleke Akinyele.
Olaopa spoke at the 4th Theophilus & Elizabeth Akinyele Foundation Memorial Symposium in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Paying tribute to Akinyele, Olaopa described him as a statesman, mentor, and icon, commending efforts to keep the memory of the Officer of the Order of the Niger and the Bobajiro of Ibadanland, along with his wife, evergreen over the past four years.
Olaopa spoke on the topic, “Reinventing Leadership and Ethics in Public Service in Nigeria: From the Akinyele Era to Contemporary Institutional Reforms.”
He highlighted that the memorial events and initiatives of the Theophilus and Elizabeth Akinyele Foundation were fitting tributes to a man who embodied the ideals of a public servant. He described Akinyele as a selfless and dedicated individual whose contributions represent the golden era of Nigeria’s civil service.
Olaopa emphasized that Akinyele was a model civil servant, part of a generation of forebears who upheld the highest ideals of public administration. He noted that Akinyele and his contemporaries adopted and improved upon the public service values left behind by the British colonial administration.
“The pioneer bureaucrats inherited foundational public service values and virtues significantly influenced by British Victorian ideals and moral codes,” Olaopa said.
Referencing Max Weber’s bureaucratic model, he stated:
“Max Weber envisioned a bureaucracy characterized by rules, systems, efficiency, and discipline. He also saw public service as a vocation—a calling. This meant public servants must consider their roles as honourable and value-driven, transcending personal preferences to prioritize the public good.”
According to Olaopa, public service is a value-based institution rooted in concepts of honour, spirituality, and professionalism. He likened the selflessness of public servants to the Levitical priesthood, which deferred material gratification in service to God and Israel.
Core Virtues of Public Service
Olaopa identified three core virtues that define the civil service:
- Public-Spiritedness
Public service, he said, is first and foremost about service to the public, not personal or familial gain. Public-spiritedness distinguishes true public servants from mere careerists, aligning their professional roles with the common good. - Professionalism
Public servants must possess specialized skills and adhere to an occupational code of conduct that ensures efficiency in implementing state policies. - Leadership
Beyond administration, public servants must exhibit transformational leadership, collaborating with political leaders to deliver public goods efficiently.
Olaopa traced the roots of Nigeria’s exemplary civil service era to the British colonial administration, which trained a cadre of highly skilled and disciplined officers. This cadre—comprising figures like Adebo, Akinyele, and Ayida—set high standards of meritocracy, discipline, and thoroughness.
He noted, “The service cherished thoroughness. Submissions in files were well-thought-out, and corruption was virtually nonexistent due to strict discipline and high standards.”
When the British left, Nigerian pioneers like Akinyele upheld these values, blending them with local principles such as the Yoruba concept of Omoluabi, which emphasizes truthfulness, responsibility, and accountability.
To restore the golden era of Nigeria’s civil service, Olaopa recommended the following:
Reprofessionalization of the service.
Conducting value audits.
Enhancing core skills and intellectual capacity.
Strengthening public-private partnerships and policy-research linkages.
Adjusting incentives.
Launching productivity and waste reduction programs.
Olaopa concluded by stressing the need for renewed commitment to the foundational principles that once defined the civil service, urging contemporary reformers to draw inspiration from icons like Adebo and Akinyele.
