The Oyo State Government has approved the conversion of 551 serving officers into various desired sub-officer and officer cadres in the civil and public service of the state.

The Chairman, Oyo State Civil Service Commission, Alhaji Chief Kamoru Abiodun Aderibigbe, made the disclosure in Ibadan.

Aderibigbe explained that the government settled for the 551 officers, saying the selection was rigorous and competitive.

“I believe this recruitment and conversion exercise is a game-changer for the Oyo State civil service,” he said, adding that the conversion was to strengthen the service and ensure better output by workers.

He said the conversion exercise, which was approved amidst the ongoing recruitment exercise into the mainstream of the civil service, confirmed the love Governor Seyi Makinde has for workers who had obtained relevant additional academic and professional qualifications.

It would be recalled that the state government just concluded a Computer-Based Test (CBT) for about fifteen thousand applicants, jostling for new appointments into about sixty-six different cadres in the state civil and public services.

The Chairman, who at the conclusion of the exercise expressed his happiness at the success recorded, also praised His Excellency for giving approval for the recruitment exercise and fresh conversion exercise for five hundred and fifty-one officers.

He described the gesture as an indication that the governor is always putting the masses first in his decision-making.

The Chairman noted that the health sector is the major beneficiary in the conversion exercise, with 85 Nursing Superintendents becoming Nursing Officers, as well as other cadres in the health sector, while some Medical Officers too would soon be converted to Medical Consultants in relevant fields of their specialization.

Alh. Aderibigbe admonished workers in the state to appreciate the good gesture of the governor by performing their duties diligently, effectively, and efficiently to reciprocate the kind gesture of the governor.

He congratulated Oyo State civil/public servants on the ongoing Civil/Public Service Week, wishing them more years of progress.