By Harrison Akamule

When Reginald Bayoko joined the civil service in Benin, Edo State, he never envisaged he would get to the top of his career but, by dint of hard work and diligence, with the creation of Delta State, many career civil servants of Delta State origin returned to their state of origin.

In the past few years, we have had many civil servants who rose through the ranks to the peak of civil service as head of service in Delta. One can recall people like Chief Simeon Efenudu,   Mr   Okey Ofili, Dr. Sam Okpokpor,   Sylvester Mordi, Sir Patrick Origho, among others, most of whom were former students of the University of Ibadan. But today, for the first time, an ex-student of Professor Ambrose Alli University has come to clinch the top slot..

A thorough-bred civil servant whose dress code is the typical suit and tie, he has paid his dues as a  career civil servant, versed in the civil service rules and financial instructions.

When the pioneer Chairman of  DESOPADEC, Chief Wellington Okrika’s tenure expired,  Bayoko stood as an acting Chairman to ensure that every aspect of DESOPADEC activities ran smoothly. As Permanent Secretary, he  served under three governors, Chief |James Ibori, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, and now, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa.

As  career civil servant, he knows his onions and can correctly advice the governor in the right direction.   Coming from Kiagbodo, home to the Clarks of Ambakederemo   fame, the young Bayoko was resourceful as a young man knowing how to set the fish traps and throw the fishing nets in the riverine terrain .To have surmounted the problems of underdevelopment and passed his school certificate and GCE O’ level examinations was not a mean feat.

Bayoko did all these between 1978 and 1983 at the Immaculate Conception College, Benin City. He has a rich reservoir of experience in several Boards and worked in a number of government establishments, rising through the ranks as Director of Investments and Loans, where he represented Delta on the boards of strategic companies and institutions. He has had a wide knowledge of financial dealings and the role of Internal Revenue Board in the state, especially, now that federal allocations are in sharp decline..

Born on July 18, 1966 in Enugu to parents of Burutu Local Government in Delta State, his father hails from Kiagbodo while his mother is from Owhodokporkpor in Ughelli South local government.

Mr. Bayoko holds a B.Sc. degree in geography and regional planning from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma (1983-1987) and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Benin (1997).

After his compulsory National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC ) assignment, he was appointed into the Bendel Civil Service as Administrative Officer II and posted to the Investment and Loans Department in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. He eventually rose to become Permanent Secretary in 2006.

It was while he was Permanent Secretary, Finance, that he was nominated for the Senior Executive Course 36, in Kuru – Jos, in 2014. According to reports from the Kuru Course for Senior Executive Officers, he was rated this way: “Reginald Bayoko was a member of the Study Group 5 and served his group as a Rapporteur and performed creditably well and made invaluable inputs to various group assignments. An effective team player, he worked in harmony with all team members exhibiting a high level of commitment, cooperation and forthrightness. “Continuing, the report went further: “He displayed commendable leadership skills during group activities as well as plenary sessions where he made positive contributions,’ adding, Bayoko showed dedication and capacity for hard work under pressure and could be relied upon to accomplish arduous tasks within his areas of competence. As a result of these special skills of hard work and competence, he was selected as member of the writing team as well as presenter of the final course report that was presented to the President during the presidential parley in November 2014.”

By his recent elevation to the position of Head of the Civil Service in Delta State, he now becomes the first Izon man to occupy this enviable position.

The government has made the right choice of a seasoned civil servant.