The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and the Head of Service, Bode Agoro, have tasked civil servants to uphold integrity, accountability and dedication to duty, reminding them that public service is a responsibility that demands honesty, fairness and commitment to the welfare of residents.
They said that public service should be regarded not merely as an official obligation but also as an opportunity to serve humanity, stressing that honesty, fairness and diligence were essential to building an efficient and responsible workforce.
The call was made during a special Jumu’ah service organised as part of activities marking the 2026 Public Service Week at the Lagos Secretariat Community Central Mosque, Alausa, Ikeja, on Friday.
Speaking at the service, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Abdulafeez Toriola, who represented the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, urged civil servants to remain conscious of their responsibilities and the need to be accountable for their actions and decisions in public office.
Toriola said the gathering was organised to encourage public servants to reflect on the responsibilities entrusted to them, particularly their obligation to serve the state and its residents with sincerity and commitment.
He noted that beyond the administrative and professional expectations attached to public office, civil servants must remain conscious of their moral responsibilities, adding that their conduct at work would determine the quality of service delivered to residents.
“Almighty Allah is watching all of us and on the Day of Judgement, like I said, we are going to account for everything we are doing, I mean our deeds,” he noted.
He urged public servants to approach their assignments with sincerity, dedication and a strong sense of responsibility, noting that serving the public should not be regarded merely as an official obligation but as an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to society.
According to him, civil servants should remain committed to giving their best in the discharge of their duties, irrespective of their positions.
The Permanent Secretary also called on public servants to continually improve their knowledge, skills and capacity to enable them to discharge their responsibilities effectively and support the state’s development aspirations.
Also speaking, the Imam of the Lagos Secretariat Community Central Mosque and Chairman of its Mission Board of Imams, Saeed Ahmad, said his sermon focused on accountability and the need for individuals to remain mindful of the consequences of their actions, regardless of whether such actions were known to others.
Ahmad stressed that public servants should not assume that actions they considered private or concealed would remain hidden forever, urging them to uphold transparency and accountability in the discharge of their responsibilities.
“The fear that I spoke of is not that of a blind guttural fear. It is indeed the fear, the consciousness, the deep innate awareness that all our actions, sayings and thought processes are not only being witnessed and recorded, we are going to be held accountable for them,” he said.
Relating his message to the responsibilities of civil servants, Ahmad described public service as an avenue for serving humanity, explaining that government employees could demonstrate their commitment to the public through the manner in which they performed their official duties and treated members of the public.
He maintained that service to humanity required individuals to demonstrate kindness, fairness and compassion towards fellow human beings.
“You cannot see Allah physically to serve. You can only obey His commands by being good to fellow creatures, humans and otherwise,” he noted.
Ahmad further explained that public servants should see their positions as opportunities to practise justice, fairness and kindness, particularly in their dealings with residents who depend on government institutions and officials for essential services.
He added that the sermon was relevant to the Public Service Week celebration because it reminded civil servants that every action had consequences and that good deeds performed in the course of their duties had value, whether or not they attracted public recognition or appreciation.
The Imam urged public servants to make integrity, fairness, discipline and commitment guiding principles in their daily activities, stressing that their conduct in office should reflect their responsibilities to both the government and the people they serve.