President Bola Tinubu, former President Goodluck Jonathan, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri and his predecessor, Seriake Dickson, have commended the outgoing Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, for her contributions to public service.
The leaders spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the presentation of Walson-Jack’s two books, I Planted: A Memoir of Purposeful Service and Beyond the Mandate: A Memoir on Leadership, Legacy and Labour of Public Service.
Representing Tinubu at the event, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Udeh, described Walson-Jack as an accomplished civil servant who played a significant role in improving the efficiency of the federal bureaucracy.
The President also praised her for combining the demanding responsibilities of her office with the discipline required to document her experiences and lessons from a long career in public administration.
Jonathan, who attended the ceremony with his wife, Patience, recalled Walson-Jack’s transition from the Rivers State civil service to the newly created Bayelsa State civil service in 1996. He also recounted the difficulties she encountered when she later moved into the federal civil service, including being placed at a lower rank despite her previous position as a Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General of Bayelsa State.
He said the setback ultimately became part of a career journey that culminated in her becoming Nigeria’s Head of Service. Jonathan also praised Tinubu for appointing her, noting that the appointment made her the first person from Bayelsa State to occupy the position.
Diri, who served as the chief presenter of the books, described Walson-Jack as courageous, intellectually gifted and disciplined. He thanked Tinubu for appointing her in August 2024 and praised her for bringing distinction to her family, Bayelsa and Nigeria.
The governor also reflected on his previous working relationship with Walson-Jack when she served as Deputy Chief of Staff under Dickson, saying he witnessed her administrative competence and commitment to governance firsthand. He noted that her retirement followed 34 years of service across Rivers, Bayelsa and the Federal Civil Service.
Dickson, meanwhile, described Walson-Jack as “a great servant of our people” and recalled working with her when he was Bayelsa’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice. According to him, her administrative expertise contributed to reforms within the state’s justice sector.
He further recounted his efforts to support her career progression, including facilitating her attendance at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies and her eventual movement into the Federal Civil Service with Jonathan’s approval.
In her remarks, Walson-Jack thanked Tinubu for giving her the opportunity to serve the country and explained that the books were written to preserve her experiences in public service, including the opportunities, challenges, reforms and lessons she encountered throughout her career.
She said the books do not provide a full account of her tenure as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, but instead offer a summary of some of the achievements recorded during her career.
Walson-Jack, who is due to turn 60 on August 27, said the occasion marked both her retirement from public service and the documentation of her 34 years in the profession.