*Plans training of South West civil servants by Canadian experts
…From Dele Ogunyemi, Ibadan…
The Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere Renewal group (ARG) has described as bittersweet the naming of Dr. Adekunle Ahmed, a member the group’s Canada chapter, as the winner of Science and Technology category in the 2013 edition of Planet Africa Awards.
Dr. Ahmed became the second Nigerian to have won the award, which is organised annually by Planet Africa Group, in recognition of “individuals, organizations, businesses and agencies that make a profound difference in the lives of people of African heritage globally.”
Dr. Ahmed, a forensic psychiatrist, is the Clinical Director of Southeast Forensic Services and the Director of the Anger Disorders Clinic at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa.
While congratulating Dr. Ahmed, ARG’s National Chairman, Olawale Oshun, said the award is a testament to the quality of human resources that could have been serving Nigeria’s interest. He disclosed that about 70 per cent of members of ARG Canada are top technocrats and civil servants.
“Canada has one of the best Public Service in the world and to say that many of our members are top civil servants in that country underscores what could have been Nigeria’s gain,” he said.
He added that another member of ARG, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, who recently was in Australia, also reported that Nigerians are occupying top civil service ranks and are highly regarded by their host country.
Oshun said having Nigerians in such experienced public service positions across the world can be a great advantage for Nigeria, if it can harness such expertise to reform its own public service.
“We need not cry over spilled milk. Nigeria only needs to find ways to harness the potentials of these people who are making Nigeria proud in a bid to reform its public service,” he said, adding that ARG is already spearheading such initiative which will bring top Nigerian-Canadian civil servants to Nigeria to train their counterparts in the Southwest States.