Ekiti State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Dayo Apata (SAN), has urged management and staff of the Ministry of Justice to strengthen their commitment to effective service delivery and contribute to the development of the state.
Apata made the appeal on Friday in Ado-Ekiti while formally resuming office for a second term.
He described his reappointment by Gov. Biodun Oyebanji as an act of divine grace, saying it was not necessarily a reflection of professional superiority over other lawyers in the state.
“Many lawyers are more accomplished than I am,” he said, attributing his appointment to God’s favour and the governor’s confidence in his ability.
Apata, who has spent about four decades in public service as a legal practitioner at both the state and federal levels, recalled starting his career as a Level 8 counsel in the Federal Civil Service before rising to the directorate cadre.
He urged the ministry’s management and staff to remain diligent and committed to their responsibilities, stressing that collective effort was essential to advancing the ministry and the state.
The Attorney-General credited the achievements of his first tenure to the contributions of various departments and units rather than to individual efforts. He encouraged the workers to stay focused, intensify their efforts and approach their assignments with renewed dedication.
Acknowledging the challenges facing public servants, Apata said he had experienced similar difficulties in his early years as a government legal counsel. He promised to create more opportunities for the ministry’s personnel in his second tenure than in the first.
Earlier, the ,State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Mr Gbemiga Adaramola (SAN), described Apata’s first and second appointments as blessings to the state and the ministry.
Adaramola recalled that when the commissioner assumed office in 2022, staff presented the ministry’s challenges to him at a reception held in his honour. According to him, Apata pledged to address the problems before the end of his tenure, and the commitments were substantially fulfilled.
He listed the recruitment of more than 20 state counsels, the provision of official vehicles for all directors and the appointment of three permanent secretaries among staff of the Ministry as part of the achievements recorded under Apata’s leadership.
He also cited the appointment of two High Court judges and the elevation of a state counsel to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Adaramola, who is the first state counsel in Ekiti to attain the rank, described himself as a beneficiary of the latter achievement. He added that the commissioner had created other opportunities for staff development.
Adaramola assured Apata of the ministry’s continued support and commitment to its mandate, expressing confidence that it could emerge as the best Ministry of Justice in Nigeria.
Prayers were subsequently offered for the Attorney-General, the Ministry of Justice and the state.
Those present included the Executive Secretary of the Ekiti State Public Defender’s Office, Mrs Bolanle Awe, as well as directors, management staff and other personnel of the ministry.