Awka — The entire conference hall of the Women Development Centre, Awka was filled to the brim. The occasion was the 5th Anambra state public Service Lecture series with theme, "Transcending transactions, embracing transformation -Can Anambra public sector raise its game in service industry?" The lecture series are being organized by the office of the Head of Service, Anambra State, Mrs. Ngozi Melifonwu.

The lecture was delivered by the Vice President of World Bank, African Region, Dr. (Mrs) Oby Ezekwesili. Ezekwesili who spoke as a guest lecturer at the workshop on capacity building and youth empowerment organized by the Anambra state rebirth group at Emmaus House, also maximized her visit to Anambra state by addressing two powerful groups, the civil servants and the youths on nation building of which character and planning must not be ignored.

Most impressive about the 5th lecture was that the Deputy Governor of Anambra state, Dame Virgy Etiaba was absenting herself from public functions for a long time was at the hall. More than 30 prominent traditional rulers in the state were in the hall with numerous President Generals and captains of industry anxious to learn one or two things from the lecture series.

In the past the public service lecture started by the administration of Governor Peter Obi had in the past attracted eminent personalities to interact with the civil service like the Managing Director of World Bank, Dr Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iwuala, Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Dr Ernest Ndukwe, Managing Director of the Bank Of Industry, Chairman of Ambra Corp, present Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, to mention but a few. Each lecture series presents opportunity to the civil servants and other attendees to enhance their knowledge and build their capacity.

Addressing the participants Dr. Mrs Ezekwesili said that any country which has not already mapped out its blue print for development is lagging behind and may not catch up if it does not start now to plan and implement its plans.

She said the "next 10 years is going to be important for nations, so they must have started planning for it long ago.

The public lecture which was chaired by the former Minister of Health, Dr. Tim Menakaya, had Ezekwesili lamenting that many African countries experience underperformance because of poor bureaucracy.

According to her, many African countries fail to follow the simple rule of putting round peg in a round hole and engaging educated people in their civil service since civil service itself is the engine room of government.

She argued that economies that have done well follow such rule. Such people understand the goings on for effective service delivery. The right civil service, Ezekwesili said, must have people who can spend time on the job, have character, competence and capacity.

When people have these traits , Ezekwesili continued, they assume responsibility that reflect the moral virtues and character; having requisite knowledge of other subject areas and they are imbued with extra knowledge that enable them handle huge, complex and multiple demands of their respective responsibilities.

"Competence defines their power, strength to enable them perform without bulging under the weight of the scheduled duty. It is such that the best woman for the job on the right job. It is in such situation, a nation can achieve transformation in its economy".

Ezekwesili said this is the simple difference between Singapore and most of its peers which are far behind it in terms of standard of living. Performance of a nation or state, she said, can be great or lack-lustre depending on how they addressed the needs of the citizens in a blue print encapsulated in the need for quality service delivery.

Every administration, according to her has two layers: the political layer and no political layer that is the bureaucracy called civil service but that when the citizens do not see the result of the civil service they become disillusioned.

At the youth summit at Emmaus house, the World Bank Vice President for Africa further said that the greatest challenge facing African continent and not Nigeria or Anambra state alone is the problem of unemployment.

The challenge according to her, has created a huge bulge in the continent and according to her, has not translated into economic growth and development because the enabling fundamentals that would ensure that the huge aspect of the youth are activated as producers of economic growth has also not happened.

She said that 37 percent of the working age population of Africa are in the classification of youth, adding that they record about 60 percent of the unemployed in the society.

According to her, "interestingly, people assume that the stage of African youth is a young man in the street of Awka".

Ezekwesili further revealed that the percentage of Nigerians that transit from secondary education to higher institution was between 3 to 4 percent, while the United States of America records about 80 percent of that category.

She said that Brazil had about 38 percent of that category while Kenya regarded as a small country compared to Nigeria could boast of about 20 percent of its youth moving from secondary to tertiary institutions.

"Vision without a plan is a dream and a plan without a vision is a nightmare".

"We must join hands to get to the Anambra state of our dreams and slowly we have started those changes in the administration of the Governor, Mr. Peter Obi".

In his remarks, the state Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, told the large crowd of civil servants in the state that he was happy that his initiative of Anambra State Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS) was working magic in his administration, which according to him was earlier opposed by some people in the state.

Obi, therefore said, "Let us join hands and build a better society for our children, otherwise, it will take a drastic revenge on them in future".

Furthermore, the Governor commended the traditional rulers who he said had stood behind him in the state, adding that with their support, he had been able to attain the height he had attained today in the governance of the state.

Capturing the opportunity to advice civil servants on politics , Obi noted that his administration instituted the public service lecture series as part of human development strategy and to bring people who have actualized their dreams in their chosen professions to speak with the civil servants as a motivation to better performance.

He said his administration increased the interaction with the civil servants and have always had the traditional rulers gracing his functions. He however lamented that people are still interested in politics of beans and rice when N3 million can buy hundreds of bags of rice but a good road construction in the state can cost up to N1.7 billion.

Obi commended Dr (Mrs.) Ezekwesili for making out time to grace the occasion and speaking out against the impeachment in Anambra state even as a Minister. He reminded the civil servants to stop shying away from politics since the Supreme Court judgment had pronounced that civil servants can play politics.

The Governor further reminded them that Anambra state remained the only state that is not owing a kobo to any body but has closed the year with over N10 billion in credit. He said that al those promising the state citizenry heaven while still on earth can not govern the state well more than his administration has proved adding that he is ever committed and dedicated to the development and progress of Anambra state.

In her opening remarks earlier, the Head of Service, Mrs. Ngozi Melifeonwu who reeled out the numerous innovations and motivations the administration of Governor Peter Obi has introduced in the civil service appealed for support and co-operation to ensure that the dividends of democracy simultaneously presented to all the communities in the state are not abruptly stopped. She thanked the Managing Director of the World Bank African Region, Dr (Mrs.) Oby Ezekwesili for honouring their invitation and the Governor for his support and continued listening ears to the affairs of workers.

She appealed to the workers to increase their tempo and efficiency at work as a way of showing appreciation to the numerous good working conditions the administration of Governor Peter Obi brought in to the civil service.

The Permanent Secretary in the office of Head of Service, Mr. Paul Ogbaji, in a vote of thanks reminded that the Head of Service started the lecture series for as an avenue of training and retraining the civil servants as well as other innovations of which she would be remembered adding that the civil service had never had it so good until Governor Peter Obi came into office.

But the traditional rulers also captured the opportunity of the crowd that turned up for the function to summon all the 25 candidates for the February 6th , 2010 governorship election for oath taking to shun rigging and thuggery of face the collective wrath of the entire traditional Rulers from the one hundred and seventy-seven (177) communities in Anambra state.

The Monarch announced that the oath taking would be on Friday, January 8th, 2010 this week at the Alex Ekwueme square Awka. The administering of an oath on the 25 Governorship candidates in the state according to the traditional rulers is a way to forestall any form of rigging or thuggery during the February 6th elections.

Vice-Chairman Central Traditional Rulers Council, Anambra State, and the traditional Ruler of Awka of Awka , Obi Gibson Nwosu announced that in Awka during the 5th public service lecture of the Anambra state Civil service led by Mrs Ngozi Melifonwu.

Obi Nwosu who noted that the summon on the gubernatorial candidates would be under the auspices of Elders Forum and Traditional Rulers Council declared that any of the candidates that declined from attending the prayer forum at which they would be given," Offor na Ogwu" on behalf of Anambra state to eschew violence and thuggery but ensure that the election was conducted in transparent, free and fair manner for the interest of Anambra people.

He said the candidates would take oaths of never to engage in any form of electoral violence, thuggery, or ballot snatching among others and admit to subject themselves to a free and fair election where a popular person should emerge the winner.

He said at the end of the assurances and oaths by the candidates, any of them that engages in thuggery, election malpractice or any form ballot snatching or practice devoid of free conduct would face terrible consequences.

He said that become necessary because the Traditional rulers are not supporting any candidate in the election and therefore should do things that would safe guard the votes of the electorates.

Nwosu said that the prayer and invoking of Anambra spirits would take place at the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square by 10am on Friday even as he said other invitees to the ceremony were the town union presidents, civil servants and various leaders in the state. He said the essence of the ceremony is for a peaceful election in the state.

His words, "What we want is peace in Anambra State, we don't want violence, a lot of people are insinuating a lot of things to happen during the election but the traditional rulers are saying no to that and that is the reason of this idea".

"Whoever that engages in rigging, thuggery during the exercise will face the consequences of his actions in this state after performing the ritual".

He appealed to the state head of service, Mrs. Ngozi Melifeonwu to allow the civil servants on the said date to attend the function.

Responding, Mrs. Melifeonwu headed to the appeal by the monarch but reminded that it would not be a political gathering as civil servants according to the service rule do not play politics.