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The Permanent Secretary, Office of Urban Development, Lagos State, Arch. Gbolahan Oki has been hailed for driving transformational changes in the state public service especially in urban renewal.
At the Send-forth ceremony held on Friday for Oki who voluntarily retired from public service after 26years of service, Lagos State workers including the Head of Service, Olabode Agoro described Oki as a ‘legend’ in public service for being at the forefront of urban renewal in the state.
Eulogizing Oki, the Lagos State Head of Service, Olabode Agoro described him as a seasoned professional who did his work diligently.
“He transversed several ministries and we thank him for his service to Lagos State government. He was feared because he did his job efficiently and we wish him a peaceful rest in his retirement,” Agoro said.
Agoro further said Oki was a ‘brave and courageous public servant ‘ who never hid his love for the development of Lagos State and mentored as well as trained dependable officers to carry on with the legacy he left behind.
The General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA Builder Gbaye Florence also described Oki as a ‘legend'.
“He is a legend and father figure. He didn't see any impossibility in anything. He has impacted positively in Lagos State and was resilient. He was diligent and made sure everyone who worked with him worked efficiently as if they were working in a private company. The Lagos State civil service will miss his contributions.,” she said.
In his tribute, the Senior Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Urban Development, Segun Williams described Oki’s retirement as a significant milestone. He praised Oki for serving with ‘diligence and integrity’ and leaving behind ‘shoes that will not be easy to fill after serving for 26years.’
The Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Sanwo-Olu, Samuel Egube commended Oki for his ‘hard work, selflessness and unwavering dedication to the advancement of the Lagos State Public Service.’
Egube added that Oki championed meaningful reforms, drove transformation and positively impacted lives.
The General Manager, Lagos State Transport Management Authority, Olalekan Bakare-Oki said Oki ‘stood firm, unyielding, dependable and fearless in the face of life's battles.
“He was a pathfinder to his workers. He encouraged his workers to thrive and was a pillar of support. He is a shoulder to rest on, a goal getter and achiever. He has a way of achieving his dreams. He is a disciplinarian and a good man,” the LASTMA boss said.
Responding to the accolades poured on him, Oki described his years of service in the Lagos State public service as ‘interesting’. He urged civil servants to keep ‘doing the right thing.’
“As a public servant, I was just trying to do what I know how to do best. I will urge others to keep doing the right thing and be diligent. You don't judge a book by its cover because you don't know what is inside it. The heart is what really matters, you don't judge people by outward appearance,” Oki said.
While in service, Oki was instrumental in ensuring Lagosians comply with the state’s building standard. Across the state, he enforced building standards while demolishing those that failed to comply.
In March 2000, he joined the Lagos civil service as an architect in the Ministry of Works. He became an Assistant Director at LASBCA in 2015. His career took him to the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Waterfront and Infrastructure. In 2018, he was moved to Lagos State Resilience Office, LASRO where he became the first indigenous Chief Resilience Officer in 2019.
In 2021, he became the General Manager of LASBCA and rose to Permanent Secretary in the Office of Urban Development before his voluntary retirement after 26 years of service.
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