By Nnasom David
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former President Goodluck Jonathan, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, former Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson and former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dr Joe Abah, have celebrated the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, on her retirement after 34 years in public service.
The dignitaries spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the presentation of Walson-Jack’s books, Beyond the Mandate and I Planted, held as part of activities marking her retirement and 60th birthday.
The event attracted senior government officials, public servants, members of the National Assembly, diplomats, development partners, academics, private sector representatives, family members and friends.
Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, commended Walson-Jack for what he described as purposeful service, institutional leadership and conscious legacy-building.
He said her progression through the state and federal civil services to become Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had earned her an important place in Nigeria’s public administration history.
According to him, the event was more than a book presentation, as it provided an opportunity to celebrate “a life of purposeful service, a career of institutional leadership, and a legacy being consciously built in the service of our nation.”
Tinubu said Walson-Jack had demonstrated that public service was not only about individual achievements in office, but also about the institutions, people and systems left behind for future generations.
He stressed the importance of a professional, competent, ethical, innovative and citizen-centred civil service capable of translating government policies into tangible results.
“Governments may change. Political leadership may change. Policies may evolve, but the machinery of government must retain the institutional memory, technical competence and discipline required to sustain the Nigerian state,” he said.
The President described Walson-Jack as a reform-minded public servant who understood the need for the civil service to evolve in response to the country’s changing needs.
He highlighted ongoing efforts to modernise the service, including digital transformation and the integration of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System with the Human Resource Management System to strengthen personnel management and accountability.
Tinubu also commended Walson-Jack for documenting her experiences and lessons for future generations.
“Holding office is temporary. Institutions endure. Titles come and go. What remains is the impact we make, the people we develop, the institutions we strengthen and the values we leave behind,” he said.
Jonathan: Her appointment was historic
Former President Goodluck Jonathan described Walson-Jack’s appointment as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation as a historic achievement for Bayelsa State.
Jonathan thanked Tinubu for appointing her, noting that she became the first Bayelsan to occupy the position.
“First, let me join Dickson and my governor to thank Mr President and convey appreciation to him for appointing our daughter, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation,” he said.
He described the occasion as a “triplet” celebration involving Walson-Jack’s 60th birthday, her retirement after 34 years of service and the presentation of her books.
Jonathan recalled Walson-Jack’s transition from the Bayelsa State Civil Service to the Federal Civil Service, noting that she was initially appointed as an assistant director despite her seniority.
He said he encouraged her to accept the appointment and remain focused on her career.
Jonathan also praised Walson-Jack for relocating to Bayelsa following the creation of the state in 1996, despite the difficult conditions at the time.
He said her career demonstrated the importance of merit, integrity and perseverance in public service.
“Every nation, every state, even institutions like the civil service, if integrity and merit are not considered, especially in leadership, then you cannot go anywhere. You must use the right people for the right thing,” he said.
Diri hails Walson-Jack’s legacy
Diri described Walson-Jack’s retirement as a celebration of a life of service, commitment and enduring legacy.
The governor said the occasion provided an opportunity to celebrate her contributions to public service in Bayelsa State and at the federal level.
Drawing from the biblical account of planting and harvesting, Diri said Walson-Jack had planted seeds of institutional development throughout her career.
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. Didi Walson-Jack planted the seed that God watered, and God has seen her through from Bayelsa to the pinnacle of the Federal Civil Service,” he said.
Diri described I Planted as a reflection of Walson-Jack’s approach to public service, saying it captured the sacrifices, discipline and commitment required to build institutions.
He also said documenting her experiences would help preserve institutional memory for future generations.
“Bayelsans are proud of you. You planted in Rivers State. You planted in Bayelsa State. You watered in Abuja, and God gave the increase,” he said.
Dickson: Walson-Jack’s professionalism helped my career
Former Bayelsa State Governor and National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Senator Seriake Dickson, said Walson-Jack’s professionalism and attention to detail played an important role in his career.
Dickson recalled working with her when he served as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Bayelsa State.
He said Walson-Jack helped him understand the administrative demands of running the ministry and contributed to reforms in the justice sector.
“I was completely strange to office administration and management. But it was Didi Walson-Jack who had the duty of putting me through how to give administrative leadership to the ministry as Attorney-General,” he said.
Dickson also credited her with strengthening legal manpower and improving the administration of justice in the state.
Reflecting on a period of political controversy and investigations, he said Walson-Jack’s attention to detail and professionalism helped protect his reputation.
“If you read the books, you will see how Didi Walson-Jack’s attention to detail and sense of professionalism saved my name, my image and my career, by the grace of God,” he said.
Abah praises books
Abah, who reviewed the books, described them as valuable contributions to the understanding of public administration and institutional reform in Nigeria.
He said the books provided an insider’s account of the operation of public institutions and the challenges officials encountered while attempting to reform them.
He described I Planted as the story of a public servant who rose from the Rivers State Civil Service to the highest position in Nigeria’s civil service.
According to him, the book offered lessons on leadership, integrity, resilience and institutional development.
Abah said Beyond the Mandate also documented Walson-Jack’s transition into the Federal Civil Service and the bureaucratic challenges she encountered.
He noted that some of her experiences with missing files, inefficient processes and paper-based bureaucracy appeared to have influenced her commitment to digital transformation.
The former BPSR director-general described the books as memoirs, institutional histories, leadership guides and governance case studies that could benefit public servants, students, researchers and policymakers.
Walson-Jack: I planted, obeyed and moved on
Speaking at the event, Walson-Jack said the books were her attempt to document the experiences, reforms, challenges and lessons gathered during her 34 years in public service.
She said they provided an account of the Nigerian public service from the perspective of someone who had worked within the system and participated directly in decision-making.
“Thirty-four years is a long time to get trusted with people’s business. It is long enough to plant things, institutions, systems, people, and to watch some of them grow taller than you,” she said.
Walson-Jack explained that I Planted reflected her philosophy of contributing to institutions, mentoring people and moving on without seeking personal credit for every achievement.
“I planted. I obeyed, and I moved on,” she said.
She said the books were not intended to present a sanitised account of her career, but to document honestly what worked, what failed and the personal and institutional costs of attempting to reform the public service.
Walson-Jack, who began her career as a young lawyer in the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, said she had no idea 34 years ago that her career would eventually lead to the highest office in Nigeria’s civil service.
She thanked Tinubu, political leaders, public servants, family members, mentors, development partners and other stakeholders for their support throughout her career.
She said the books were intended to preserve the lessons of her journey and provide useful insights for current and future public servants.
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