President Bola Tinubu, former President Goodluck Jonathan, Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, and former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, on Tuesday showered encomiums on the outgoing Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, describing her as an exceptional public servant whose career has left an enduring legacy.
The dignitaries spoke at the presentation of two books authored by Walson-Jack, “I Planted: A Memoir of Purposeful Service” and “Beyond the Mandate: A Memoir on Leadership, Legacy and Labour of Public Service,” held at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
President Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, described the outgoing Head of Service as a remarkable and distinguished public servant who contributed significantly to repositioning the federal bureaucracy for greater effectiveness and efficiency.
The President said the occasion was not merely about the presentation of two books but a celebration of a life of selfless service and exceptional leadership.
“We gather for the presentation of her two books, but in reality, we are here to celebrate something much greater. We celebrate a life of selfless service, a career of exceptional leadership, and a service to humanity,” Tinubu said.
He noted that Walson-Jack occupied a distinguished place in Nigeria’s public administration history, having served at both state and federal levels before rising to become the nation’s top civil servant.
According to him, her ability to reflect on and document her experiences while carrying the enormous responsibilities of her office demonstrated discipline and an understanding that public service was not only about what was achieved in office but also about the legacy left behind for future generations.
Tinubu said he admired Walson-Jack’s commitment to reforming the civil service and making it more responsive and result-oriented.
“I did not have to preach reform to her,” the President said, adding that she came into office with a clear understanding that the civil service must continuously evolve to meet the demands of a rapidly changing country and an increasingly complex world.
Former President Jonathan, who attended the event alongside his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, also praised the Bayelsa-born top bureaucrat, recalling her courage in leaving the older Rivers State Civil Service to join the newly created Bayelsa State Civil Service in 1996.
Jonathan also recounted the challenges Walson-Jack faced when she later moved to the Federal Civil Service, where she was downgraded to the position of Assistant Director despite having served as a Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General of Bayelsa State.
He said the experience was demoralising but that he encouraged her to accept the opportunity.
“Now she is retiring as not only a federal permanent secretary but also as Head of Service,” Jonathan said.
The former President recalled that other Bayelsa permanent secretaries had faced similar challenges when attempts were made to move them into the Federal Civil Service.
He said some difficult experiences in life might appear uncomfortable at the time but could ultimately prepare a person for greater responsibilities.
“Some limitations or experiences in life might appear not very comfortable, but God might use them to prepare you for something bigger,” he said.
While congratulating Walson-Jack on her retirement, Jonathan commended her husband for being a pillar of support and thanked President Tinubu for appointing her on merit.
“We appreciate the President for appointing our daughter. That appointment made her the first Bayelsan to hold that office,”
Jonathan said, describing her retirement as the end of a brilliant and meritorious career.
The Chief Presenter of the books and Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, paid glowing tribute to Walson-Jack, describing her as a woman of courage, exceptional intellect and discipline.
Diri, who attended the event with his wife, Dr. Gloria Diri, also thanked President Tinubu for appointing a daughter of Bayelsa State as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in August 2024.
He said the occasion was to honour a woman who had made herself, her family, Bayelsa State and Nigeria proud.
Quoting from one of the books, “I Planted: A Memoir of Purposeful Service,” Diri highlighted Walson-Jack’s reflection that, “Hardship endured in the service of something meaningful is not merely suffering; it is formation.”
The governor said the statement aptly captured her journey through the civil service.
“The hardship of service in the Niger Delta, in the State Civil Service, and at the pinnacle of the Federal Civil Service did not break her. It formed her. It formed the leader we celebrate today,” he said.
Diri recalled working closely with Walson-Jack during her time as Deputy Chief of Staff to former Governor Dickson, when he served as Principal Executive Secretary.
“In that capacity, I saw first-hand the discipline, the intellect and the quiet strength she brought to governance in Bayelsa State,” he said.
“She was the calm in the storm, the memory of the administration, and the conscience that reminded us that every decision must serve the people.”
The governor said her retirement after 34 years of service spanning Rivers State, Bayelsa State and the Federal Civil Service did not mark an end but a transition from active service to an enduring legacy.
In his remarks, former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, described Walson-Jack as “a great servant of our people.”
Dickson recalled that their paths first crossed when Jonathan appointed him Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Bayelsa State while Walson-Jack was the ministry’s Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General.
He said her administrative competence made his work easier and enabled them to carry out reforms that transformed the state’s justice sector.
Dickson also recalled his efforts to support her career advancement, including facilitating opportunities for her to attend the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, and later seeking approvals for her movement between the state and federal civil services.
According to him, when Walson-Jack completed her programme at NIPSS, former President Jonathan approved her secondment and transfer to the Federal Civil Service following his intervention.
He said that when he later became governor, he again sought Jonathan’s approval for her release on secondment to serve Bayelsa State, where she was appointed Commissioner for Science and Technology before returning to Abuja.
Dickson thanked President Tinubu for appointing her as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Jonathan for supporting her career, and the late former Bayelsa Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, for appointing her the youngest Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General of the state.
In her remarks, Walson-Jack thanked President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve his administration and the country and explained that the books were written to document her experiences before the passage of time altered the memories.
“The books are my attempt to set that record down honestly before memory does what memory always does,” she said.
“I did not set out to write a book that flatters me. I set out to place on record my own account of a system I have had the honour and privilege of serving — its opportunities, its frustrations, its reforms, and the lessons I gathered along the way.”
She said the books traced aspects of her journey from the Ministry of Justice in the newly created Bayelsa State in 1996 to her role as a federal permanent secretary.
Walson-Jack, however, said the books did not chronicle her tenure as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, noting that the full story of that period would be told another day.
“For now, I have decided to give a peek into what we achieved by publishing the summary of our scorecard,” she said.
Walson-Jack, who turns 60 on August 27, said the event marked both her retirement from public service and the documentation of her 34-year career.
Other speakers at the event included Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum; the Rivers State Governor, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Ordu; the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha; and the incoming Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Abel Enitan, among others.
The event was attended by senior state and federal government officials, former public office holders, members of the diplomatic community, traditional and political leaders, captains of industry and public servants.
One of the highlights of the event was a special prayer for Walson-Jack by octogenarian Mrs. Ajoke Murtala-Mohammed, widow of Nigeria’s late Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed.
