The Federal Government has called for synergy among secretaries to state governments to ensure quality governance and infrastructure development.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, made the call at the maiden meeting of South West Secretaries to the State Governments Forum.

 

The event held in Ikeja on Thursday.

 

The meeting had the theme: “Leveraging Good Practices in Managing Cabinet Affairs Office”.

 

The forum  had in attendance, Secretary to Lagos State Government (SSG), Mrs Folashade Jaji, her Osun counterpart, Prince Oluwole Oyebamiji; that of Oyo State, Mrs Olubanwo Adeosun, and that of  Ogun, Mr Olatokunbo Talabi.

 

The others are Ondo SSG, Princess Oladuni Odu, and her Ekiti counterpart, Mr Biodun Oyebanji.

 

In his keynote address, Mustapha said that the success of  every administration would  depend on the commitment and support of SSGs in  ensuring that formulated policies would be followed through.

 

Mustapha called for a renewed vision on the part of SSGs to ensure that dividends of democracy would  reach the masses through developmental projects.

 

He also called for introduction of a performance management system to serve as a tool for measurement of performances of ministries, departments and agencies in implementing policies.

 

“I encourage state governments to set up systems with dashboards in governors’ offices to enable electronic data collection.

 

“It will also help in giving real-time information on the status of implementation of projects, programmes and policies,” he said.

 

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State urged the SSGs to focus on what could be done concerning the youth.

 

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, said there was a strong basis for interactions, experience sharing and harmonisation of policies and processes, aimed at building regional integration.

 

The governor urged the SSGs to remain the bastion of loyalty and promote conditions that would ensure that policies and programmes would be followed through by incisive analysis and impact measurements.

 

Lagos SSG, Mrs Folashade Jaji, said that SSGs needed to effectively collaborate on governance issues that would engender better and shared understanding of complex problems involving the people.

 

She said that there was the need for SSGs to work together to proffer credible solutions.

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“This way, policymakers can identify and target problems and deliver actions more effectively.

 

“I am positive that collectively, we will reposition the cabinet offices not just in the western states, but in the entire Nigeria,” she said.

 

Earlier In his address of welcome, the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission Matters, Mr Adekunle Olayinka, said the essence of the forum was to accelerate the process of managing cabinet affairs in the states.

 

Olayinka said that Lagos State had already started bringing governance nearer to the people through discharge of responsibilities of the cabinet office.

 

In a goodwill message, Mr Peter Thomas of the British Deputy High Commission in Nigeria, said that SSGs were critical to the success of every government.

 

Thomas gave the  assurance that the commission would continue to work toward achieving improved governance and service delivery across the states.