Chairman of Isoko South Local Government Area, Comrade Friday Ovoke Warri, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the full and strict implementation of the SERVICOM charter across the council, urging civil servants to uphold professionalism by reporting to duty posts consistently, regardless of location.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Senior Policy Adviser to the Governor, Funkekeme Solomon, who led a delegation from SERVICOM to his Oleh office on Wednesday, Warri expressed concern over what he described as a growing culture of absenteeism—particularly the tendency of some workers to treat Fridays as unofficial holidays while still expecting full benefits.
"Despite certain challenges, I maintain a consistent presence. But for many civil servants, every Friday seems like a public holiday—they are absent,” Warri lamented. “It’s not easy to pay the new minimum wage, but here in Isoko South, we’re doing the needful, thanks to our M.O.R.E. Agenda government.”
He emphasized that SERVICOM's focus on efficient and citizen-centered service delivery aligns with his leadership goals and the broader development vision of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
“SERVICE delivery is a two-way street,” Warri said. “Before becoming chairman, I promised to lead with structure and presence, not remotely. I can’t hold staff accountable if I’m not showing up myself.”
The chairman cited his visit to Ikpide-Irri shortly after assuming office, where he met only one teacher—the headmistress—at a school, underscoring the urgency of addressing staffing challenges, especially in rural areas. He also criticized bureaucratic hurdles that obstruct the posting of workers to such locations.
Assuring the SERVICOM team of his support, Warri pledged collaboration with key stakeholders to integrate SERVICOM principles into the council’s operations to improve staff performance and service delivery under the M.O.R.E. Agenda.
Earlier, Senior Policy Adviser Funkekeme Solomon highlighted the state government's directive to reintroduce SERVICOM as a vital part of governance, especially at the grassroots level. Commending Warri for his performance, he described every council chairman as a “mini governor” whose leadership is crucial to the realization of the state’s development objectives.
“We’re here as a follow-up to our earlier visit,” Solomon stated. “Governor Oborevwori’s M.O.R.E. Agenda thrives on responsive service delivery. We’ve introduced a whistleblower line to gather feedback on ongoing projects and expect local governments to adopt similar citizen engagement mechanisms.”
