Former Lagos State Head of Service (HoS), Hakeem Muri-Okunola, has formally pulled out of the civil service.
Muri-Okunola voluntarily retired as the 21st HoS. He has since assumed a new role as Principal Private Secretary to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the official pulling out ceremony yesterday, described Muri-Okunola as “brother, worthy partner and confidant.”
The governor said the former HoS helped his administration to stabilise at inception “by offering valuable institutional knowledge to give the fledgling government a sense of direction.”
He said: “Lagos State will miss an outstanding public officer and administrator par excellence, but we are happy that your exit from the civil service is for service at higher level to support our father and leader, President Bola Tinubu.
“You deployed intellectual ability at your disposal to give Lagos a vibrant public service. You are taking forward your knowledge and skill in the service of Nigeria and the President. You did well in Lagos; we have no doubt you will succeed in your new task. “It’s been an honour to have been your boss, brother and colleague. I say without any fear that I have respected the support you have given to me and my deputy. You have been a worthy partner. Your name will remain written in gold in the Lagos public service.”
Head of Service Bode Agoro said his predecessor dropped the pen after an “outstanding public service career.”
According to him, Muri-Okunola has earned deep appreciation from the public service, “given his dedication and contributions in executing and implementing various government policies, programmes and projects.”
“The pull-out ceremony testifies to the rewards of diligence, commitment, perseverance and honesty in the public service. We recognise Mr. Muri-Okunola’s commitment, diligence, honesty, efficiency and exemplary performance over the years. His efforts have elevated Lagos State as a benchmark for effective public service delivery among all states in the country.
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“We are confident his exceptional leadership qualities, recognised through his appointment as the Principal Private Secretary to the President, will ensure his success, as seen in his previous roles. His contributions to the public service make us proud.”
Former Attorney-General of Lagos, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), described the former HoS as “a fiercely loyal public servant who served the state with every fibre in his body.”
“Hakeem took the interest of all public servants as priority at every decision-making opportunity he had,” the former commissioner noted.
Muri-Okunola said his journey in the Lagos public service was littered with ups and downs, but said it ended with many success stories.
He thanked former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for appointing him HoS, and praised Governor Sanwo-Olu for providing guidance and the platform that made him thrive.
Muri-Okunola became the Head of Service at 36, becoming the youngest to ever occupy the position.
He said: “Majority of my time as Head of Service was spent under Governor Sanwo-Olu, who didn’t just have me as HoS for the sake of having one, but had one whom he allowed to thrive. Mr. Governor gave me a free hand to give leadership and companionship to the entire public service. My tenure couldn’t have been successful without the cooperation of the Body of Permanent Secretaries.”
At exactly 12:08pm, Muri-Okunola signed out and was presented with his Certificate of Service. He was also inducted into the Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries (ALARHOSPS).
