In a society that often questions the sheer abilities of persons with disabilities to achieve excellence on merit, it is a thing of pride to find individuals like Mr. Oluwafemi Awe, (Deaf) shattering stereotypes and their prejudices. Femi was among the best performing civil servants of the Ekiti State Civil Service who recently received Awards of Excellence for meritorious service this year.
Twelve years ago, Femi joined the State’s Civil service with a mindset to execute his duties with all the diligence he could muster. That dedication paid off handsomely, albeit, in a long, hard-won win for the hardworking civil servant. Here, he shares highlights of the journey with Alexander Ogheneruemu.
Alexander: Congratulations again on your award. I’d appreciate your telling us what the award is about and how you won it. Was it something you had intentionally targeted? What were the things you did to stand out?
Femi: Honestly, when I got employed in the Ekiti State Civil Service in 2012, I entered with a clear mindset to do my part as diligently as I could. However as the years went by, I started doing more than just ‘doing my own part’ I started going the extra mile to get things done and to meet deadlines for given tasks.
Going the extra mile
One particular thing that brought this about has to do with a line of duty which was conventionally out of my schedule as an officer in the executive cadre. As is standard practice in the civil service, officers in the secretarial cadre are specifically tasked with typing documents that need processing. Many times, after drafting up memos or letters, as directed by my superiors, getting the documents typed was always an issue, with secretarial officers causing avoidable delays. I got frustrated with these delays and took it upon myself to do the typing.
It is a testament to his extraordinary dedication to duty that Femi, who started out in the civil service with zero computer literacy, had to teach himself to operate computers.
“I determined to learn how to operate one,” he recalls. Fortunately, during the first term of Gov. Kayode Fayemi, provision was made for interested civil servants to obtain laptops, with instalment payments spread over 2 years. I seized that opportunity to have a personal laptop, which further helped my self-taught efforts at computer literacy and helping out with typing tasks. I joyfully did it with the mindset of “whatever honestly gets the job done.”
A Dedicated and willing worker
Since his employment in the service in 2012, Femi has worked across three different Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) – Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Women Affairs, and the State Office of Disability Affairs. Never one to shirk duties, he won the hearts of superiors who came to regard him as dedicated and willing.
“Many times, I carried out duties of junior workers well below my rank. I did all with a mindset of getting the job done, and never used my disability as an excuse to shirk responsibility”.
Winning the award – a tale of resilience
When one listens to the narrative of how he reached the coveted civil service trophy, one can’t help but admire the courage, resilience and determination of this outstanding young man.
In 2017, while in the service of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Femi had a first shot at the Civil Service Excellence award when he was nominated as the best worker. He successfully scaled the internal screening but came short at the finals.
However, like a man on a mission, Femi recalls that that miss didn’t dampen his enthusiasm and personal drive at work.
By 2019, he again caught the eyes of observers at his new post, the state Ministry of Disability Affairs, and was nominated as one of the best. Unfortunately, he got hospitalized around that period and was replaced by another staff.
How did he handle it?
“Well… after recuperating and resuming work, I just kept doing my normal stuff like before”.
Last year, in 2023, Femi was nominated a third time as one of the best officers in the service. But the jinx remained. The turnout at the final screening was similar to 2017.
His unperturbed response to missing out a third time is an undeniable testament that his dedication to excellence in civil service was more of a personal trademark than any desperate effort to win some coveted prize.
“I put it behind me and carried on with my usual duties, as well as making myself useful wherever I was needed”.
The Eureka moment
So, when this year, his Head of department directed that his name be penned for nomination, Femi objected. He asked to be replaced. It took much persuasion and encouragement from the HOD to convince Femi to accept the nomination and step up to pitch at the general screening – his third final at the Award of Excellence for Best Workers in the Ekiti State Civil Service. This time his name was among the awardees!
Lauding a State Government’s disability-friendly policies
The Ekiti State government, under the administration of Governor Biodun Ayobami Oyebanji (BAO) has been in good light among Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) for its inclusiveness of disabilities. The Governor has introduced a number of laudable initiatives favoring the state’s PWDs in employment, education, and accessibility among others, and the horizon looks hopeful.
When I mentioned to Femi that cynics might argue that he got the award on some disability quota, he summarily dismissed the notion, saying:
“I would like to point out that there was never anything like a ‘Disability Quota’ [in this award] – officers are nominated on the merit of individual performance and contributions in their respective MDAs”.
Still, the Deaf civil servant reserved special praise for the very inclusive policies of BAO’s administration.
“The BAO administration is leaving no stone unturned in efforts at implementing inclusive policies. His orientation from the onset has been to leave no one behind”.
Recalling that he had no access to the services of a sign language interpreter in previous screenings and had to communicate with the panel in writing, Femi acknowledges that the availability of an interpreter this time made it easier. He commends the panel for providing one.
“One of the panel members [personally] attended to me, as soon as I informed them of my deaf status.”
In a related development, another member of the Ekiti State Deaf community, Bello Adam, received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award (PWD category). Bello, who is the Youth leader of the State’s Association of the Deaf also had words of commendation for the inclusiveness of the BAO administration. He notes:
“This is the first time individuals with disabilities in our state have been recognized, thanks to our disability-friendly Governor”.
Last year, at an event commemorating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Governor Oyebanji reiterated his conviction that everyone has potential and deserves equal opportunities regardless of abilities. He is walking the talk by providing such opportunities. Meanwhile, dedicated members of the Ekiti State PWDs community like Femi and Bello are making the most of the opportunities by choices and decisions anchored in personal excellence.