We cannot run 21st-century service on analogue system, says Gov Aiyedatiwa
By Tolulope Eniola
Ondo State Governor, His Excellency, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered digital system designed to automate personnel administration, retirement and pension processes while giving government real-time access to information for decision-making.
Christened “Ondo AI”, the system is part of the administration’s drive to replace analogue processes with a technology-driven public service that is more efficient, transparent and responsive.
Launching the Digital Human Resource Management System at the Cocoa Conference Hall, Governor’s Office, Akure, Governor Aiyedatiwa said the initiative is not merely about technology but about changing the way government thinks, works and serves the people.
The governor said information and data had become indispensable to effective administration, noting that speed and accuracy increasingly determined the quality of government decisions.
“We are living in an age in which information is power, data is an essential resource, and speed and accuracy presently define effective administration,” he said.
Governor Aiyedatiwa said Ondo State can no longer operate a 21st-century public service with analogue systems designed for another era.
“We cannot expect the 21st-century public service to operate an analogue system indefinitely, with systems designed principally for another era. This is the technological era. We cannot remain and be working with an analogue system,” he said.
He said the system would improve the quality of government decisions, stressing that accurate information is critical to effective leadership.
“Leadership is about decision-making. And every leader takes decisions based on the information at hand. If the information is accurate, the decision will be near accurate. And if the information is inaccurate, the decision will be false,” he said.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, however, said technology alone cannot transform institutions without the integrity of those operating it.
He therefore charged officers responsible for the platform to ensure that only accurate information is uploaded, warning that government can only access what is entered into the system.
He declared that “the integrity of the information entered into the system must be sacrosanct”, urging officers to discharge their responsibilities with professionalism and integrity.
The governor said the initiative is anchored on his administration’s digitisation policy to simplify processes, reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, improve institutional memory and bring government closer to the people.
“For us, digitisation is not technology for its own sake. It is a means of simplifying processes, reducing unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks, improving institutional memory and bringing government closer to the people,” he said.
He added that public servants deserve a personnel management system that respects their time, recognises their service and allows them to focus on their responsibilities.
He said the integration of AI into the platform demonstrates Ondo State’s determination to participate in the changing technological landscape.
The governor urged public servants to embrace the innovation, acknowledging that implementation could bring adjustments and challenges.
“I urge every public servant to embrace this innovation. There may be adjustments and challenges along the way, but reform is never achieved by standing still. We have to keep moving,” he said.
In his welcome address, the Head of Service, Chief Segun Odusanya, said the initiative marks a major step in the state’s efforts to modernise the public service and make it responsive to contemporary governance demands.
Odusanya said the public service remains the machinery through which government policies, programmes and initiatives are translated into tangible benefits for the people, adding that its effectiveness depends on how human resources are managed, developed and deployed.
He said personnel administration had relied substantially on manual records and traditional procedures which, although they had served the service over time, could no longer adequately meet the increasing complexity of government operations.
According to him, the digital system would strengthen personnel records and administrative processes, support workforce planning, facilitate timely decision-making and reduce delays associated with traditional procedures.
He said the platform would provide management with a comprehensive picture of available human resources, including officers’ deployment, competencies, career progression and areas requiring further development.
He urged officers to maintain the accuracy and integrity of personnel information, stressing the importance of confidentiality, data protection and security.
Demonstrating the platform, the Managing Director of SmartApps IT Limited, Godwin Odoma, said the system would automate civil service administration, payroll management, retirement processing and pension migration.
Odoma said the platform contains comprehensive records of civil servants, including photographs, appointment details, promotion letters, academic qualifications, complaints and other relevant documents, which authorised officials could access instantly.
He said the system automatically alerts government when a worker approaches retirement, while civil servants could use the self-service platform to determine the exact number of days remaining before retirement.
“With the self-service application, you don’t have any reason to say you don’t know when you are going to retire,” he said.
Odoma said workers can also access their monthly payslips through the platform, while the Office of the Head of Service can obtain the number of workers due for retirement in any particular month.
He said the system was designed to eliminate delays in pension payments by ensuring that workers moved from active service to pension without unnecessary gaps.
Odoma said the automation had positioned Ondo State to meet the required Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) under the World Bank’s HOPE-GO programme, where automation and transparency were major requirements.
Odoma urged civil servants to scan the relevant code or visit the Google Play Store to download OndoPay, enter their CS number and interact with the application.
In attendance at the event were the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti; Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa; members of the State Executive Council; labour leaders; Permanent Secretaries and other accounting officers.