THIS week, we are focusing on the Senior Policy Adviser to the Delta State Governor. Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, as he speaks to The Pointer Special Project crew on SERVICOM, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s passion for quality and excellent service delivery, politics, and many more. Excerpts.
Shall we take a look at your political journey beyond what’s already in the public domain?
I am Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, the Senior Policy Adviser to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori. My career started from the old House of Assembly (the first Assembly), where I served as Chief Press Secretary to the pioneer Speaker, the Rt. Hon Emmanuel Okoro. I was appointed Chief Press Secretary and served for about a year, until the end of that government in November 1993.
By March 1994, I was invited to join Chief Sunny Adidi (of blessed memory) to kick-start The Pointer. You’ll recall that Delta State was created from the old Bendel State, and in sharing assets, The Observer Newspaper, owned by the defunct Bendel State Government, went to Edo State. The Observer had to relocate, as they were given a quit notice.
The military governor at the time, Colonel Bassey Asuquo, conceived the idea of establishing a newspaper specifically for Delta State. I joined Chief Adidi and we worked on the project, finishing it in time for the launch, which I recall happened around October 1995.
After that period, around 1995, I left The Pointer and went into private practice, mainly consultancy. But soon after, I was reappointed by the late Chief Judge of Delta State, Justice James Omo-Agege, as his Media Adviser; a role I held until 1998.
Then politics came back. I joined the All Peoples’ Party (APP), contested the 1999 elections and won a seat in the House of Assembly. My colleagues then elected me as the Majority Leader, a position I held until about 2005. In 2007, I won re-election for a third term, this time crossing over to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and emerged as the Deputy Speaker. I served in that capacity until 2011, when I left the Assembly to become Commissioner for Works, Delta State, from 2011 to 2015, during Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s tenure.
Between 2015 and 2019, I served as Chairman of the Governing Council of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro (now upgraded to a university). From 2019 to 2023, I was Senior Political Adviser to former Governor Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa. And from 2023 till now, by God’s grace, I am the Senior Policy Adviser to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
At various times, I coordinated campaigns, served as Director of Communications and Director-General, and acted as party agent at collation centres during multiple election cycles.
During your days in the House of Assembly, you were known for espousing an ideology often compared to that of Thomas Sankara and came across as something of an activist. Do you still hold to those ideals today?
As an undergraduate, I served as the Secretary- General for the Student Union Government at the then College of Education, Abraka, between 1983 and 1984. When I returned to university in 1986, I was elected Students’ Union President in 1987 at what was then the Bendel State University, Ekpoma, which had two campuses.
During those years, my background in Political Science exposed me to the writings and ideology of Thomas Sankara. I was deeply fascinated by his penchant for the downtrodden.
Governor Oborevwori administration is passionate about quality and excellence service delivery. What is the place of SERVICOM in advancing the governor’s vision in this direction?
Everything in government revolves around the Governor, who implements the party’s manifesto. In Delta State, successive governors have focused on service delivery: starting with James Ibori’s pioneering efforts after military rule, followed by Uduagahn’s “three-point agenda” focusing on infrastructure; Sen (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa’s SMART Agenda; and now Sheriff Oborevwori’s ambitious MORE Agenda.
The MORE Agenda promises Meaningful Development, Opportunities for All, Realistic Reforms, and Enhanced Peace and Security, aiming for urgency and immediate impact rather than gradual service improvement. But for the Governor to deliver, dependable and deliberate service delivery is crucial, since good service doesn’t happen by accident.
Recognising that civil servants and the bureaucracy are the ones to execute the agenda, the Governor revived and strengthened SERVICOM, previously existing but moribund, to drive the MORE Agenda forward. Instead of a generic approach, the strategy involves sensitising each Ministry, Department, and Agency (MDA) individually, acknowledging their specific challenges.
In essence, “MORE” has been promised, and to fulfil this, the executors, the vision helpers, must fully understand and embrace the agenda, ensuring targeted, improved, and accountable service delivery.
So far, how many MDAs have you visited?
So far, we have visited over 100 MDAs. We have also covered a large number of local government councils.
In the course of the visits, where there areas of lapses or challenges in service delivery that you identified?
First, we found impediments like inadequate manpower in some areas. Another challenge is moving from the past mindset to the present. Change is always difficult. We also discovered that monitoring of service delivery has been weak, and many staff had not been sensitised; there was generally a low consciousness about what makes effective service delivery.
For instance, in several hospitals, we found a shortage of medical personnel, worsened by the “japa” (mass immigration) phenomenon.
Another issue is abuse of the “school run” privilege. My office and the office of the Head of Service are working on systems to ensure staff know they are now being watched, and that there’s accountability in leadership and service delivery.
Has there been any feedback from the MDAs and agencies?
Every MDA must now publish a Service Charter and set up a SERVICOM Unit headed by a Nodal Officer, supported by staff to handle complaints and improve service.
As part of the MORE Agenda, complaints and suggestions boxes, as well as dedicated phone lines, will allow the public to give anonymous feedback. We’ve also engaged local government councils, stressing that effective leadership is key, and the Governor has acted on our recommendations.
What’s the scope of SERVICOM?
It applies everywhere: local governments, the Governor’s office itself, everyone is involved.
How do you intend to ensure actual compliance, not just sensitisation?
We’ve set up SERVICOM units, led by Nodal Officers who report directly to me on service failures. My office then engages heads of MDAs to address issues, and no officer, however senior, is exempt from sanctions. We’re re-emphasising the standards set in the 2004 Executive Order, like timeliness and transparency, to prevent complacency and ensure accountability.
Does service delivery include the political class too?
No one is shielded. We have visited MDAs, headed by commissioners. Just recently, we held a workshop on understanding the MORE Agenda and its policy implementation, targeted at civil servants from levels 15 to 17. The first phase. The idea is: they must first understand it before they can execute it.
We will eventually cover everyone – the political class, senior civil servants, and down to lower levels.
We’ve visited the Governor’s protocol office, the Deputy Governor’s office, the SSG’s office, and the Head of Service; no one is spared. We’ve also gone to local governments, reminding local government chairmen that they are the chief service providers and will be held accountable for service failures.
To what extent have you partnered with other agencies, like the Head of Service and the Civil Service Commission?
We have set up a combined team involving my office, the Head of Service, and the Civil Service Commission. The Head of Service has been actively involved during our trainings, and gives remarks on the public service perspective.
We have trained SERVICOM officers more than three times on how to monitor service delivery, and we have also engaged the Civil Service Commission.
Governor Oborevwori is doing a bold reform in the civil service to ensure that people are true to their ages. That is also part of SERVICOM. It is an integrated approach, and I am very confident because everybody is involved in this.
What challenges have you encountered with SERVICOM in the course of pushing it forward?
Resistance to change is natural, so we focus on sensitising staff to see accountability not as punishment, but as part of their daily duty. Governor Oborevwori’s administration drives progress through policy consistency and deliberate service delivery, shown in bold moves like the ₦100 billion Warri project with Julius Berger and realistic civil service reforms.
By enforcing consequences for service failures, including advising a commissioner to resign and retiring a Permanent Secretary, the Governor demonstrates commitment to real accountability and results.
With the level of sensitisation you have done, how would you rate the improvement in service delivery in the state?
Clearly. Because in no time, between now and the first week of August, almost all MDAs would have received their boxes, where people can come in and drop complaints or observations.
How proactive will SERVICOM be in addressing whatever complaints/observation dropped in the boxes?
For example, if someone complains that The Pointer’s delivery van in Agbor has been converted to carry passengers instead of newspapers. You know the driver. We will call in the driver and inform the Head of that department, and invite the person concerned to explain: Why are you using the van like this?
Then the procedure will start. The complainant may also provide photographs or other authentic evidence. We don’t want people making baseless allegations; reports must be authenticated. Once evidences are verified, The Pointer’s disciplinary procedures will start.
If inefficiency is noticed in an MDA and, let’s say, a junior officer reports it, how do you protect his identity so that he doesn’t face victimisation afterwards?
No, he is not bound to write his name. It can be anonymous. We will investigate it. But there must still be a proper form; we won’t just collect something scribbled on a piece of paper. It must conform to standard practice.
The reports will come directly to me. So my actions are above the level of, say, a General Manager. It is clear: This is the report from this establishment. It will then be forwarded to the appropriate place.
That is why, first of all, we are building confidence, so that people realise it is a return to that culture of being conscious that you are a public servant empowered to serve the public.
For example, when we go to the local government headquarters, people sometimes go there for letters of identification required for employment. Some officers make it unnecessarily difficult. Officers have now been trained to detect and report such behaviour to us, and then we will recommend the appropriate measures.
Across MDAs, there are already units like disciplinary committees. Does SERVICOM override these units?
Certainly.
The state has maintained good relations with labour unions. How was this achieved?
Everything requires deliberate effort and understanding. When I assumed office, the first thing I did was to visit labour leaders myself: the NLC and the TUC. I told them we are partners in progress, not adversaries. In addition, we have organised two training sessions for labour unions, focusing on how to work together to create industrial peace.
The MORE Agenda includes enhanced peace and security, and there can be no peace without good labour relations.
We invited resource persons from the Federal Ministry of Labour in Abuja for these trainings. Participants shared ideas on how to improve harmony. We keep communication open, and that’s why Delta remains one of the most peaceful states in terms of labour-government relations.
How strong is SERVICOM in Delta when it comes to quickly and efficiently addressing public requests?
Every MDA must have a SERVICOM Unit, led by nodal officers with supporting staff. Any MDA that fails to establish this unit is violating the Governor’s directive. So there is a clear structure in place.
They will be here to report to us on service problems. I will take it from there.
I’ll explain to you: our method is not punitive. It is for us to work together to improve service delivery. Our aim is not to punish anybody.
I’ll give you an example. If a staff member had always come early to work, been punctual every day, and then you notice a decline in punctuality, the first thing is to have a psychological or social approach to find out the cause, rather than starting with a query.
Understanding the dignity of the staff is important for good output. So, if you ask the staff, the problem may be social maybe marital. Finding that out alone will help restore the confidence the staff needs. Maybe it is a house rent problem; perhaps he’s been thrown out of his house. So, is that why he hasn’t been coming to work? That session alone helps.
So, sometimes, it’s our approach to our staff that compounds the issues.
SERVICOM is trying to adopt best practices, ensuring that while trying to deliver services, we also realise we need a revamped mind-set to do it well.
With the 2027 elections on the horizon, the coalition is threatening to take over the centre and possibly the states and local governments. Do you give them a chance?
Why should I give them a chance? Because it’s founded on false premises. It’s vengeful. Anything founded on revenge will not stand. That’s the point, there’s a deficiency from the very start: it’s not founded on any ideology.
But in 2013–2014, wasn’t this exactly how APC was formed?
Not exactly. APC had a mantra. They said “Change.” What have these people told us? Nothing. It’s just a conglomeration of old fellows who have lost out in the scheme of things. Let me tell you, and I’m not trying to make a case for President Bola Tinubu, but he is the most prepared president. You can’t compare Tinubu with Former President Goodluck Jonathan.
So, when you talk about a coalition, coalition over what? Are there new people who can do better? Because most of them are also part of the APC and the PDP. So, what is new in them? What are they bringing to the table that would attract someone like me or you to join them?
Some have also accused President Bola Tinubu of pushing Nigeria towards a one-party state.
The accuser has to prove it. Tinubu himself has said so, that he’s not planning that. Now Tinubu is filling the South’s slot, and the North wants to take over. Naturally, they must find people in the South to join them. So, the coalition is to do what? What are you promising Nigerians? Rescue Nigeria from what? Were these same people not in power before? Did they build anything? Did they change anything?
For example, Rotimi Ameachi, was he not to a Speaker, Governor, and former Minister of Transportation? Is that the kind of person I should now follow? Is it Atiku Abubakar who is now a political fugitive?
Politics in Nigeria, unfortunately, is not theory-based; it’s about convenience and opportunity. But unfortunately for them, like I said before, this country is between North and South. It’s not yet time for the North to take over. The North cannot think they own this country; it belongs to all of us. The economic resources are located in the South. That’s why I support Tinubu.
What if ADC projects someone like Peter Obi?
Peter Obi lost momentum; he couldn’t use it properly. Sympathy and popularity don’t make a successful politician. Peter Obi had a good start but lacked strategy.
This year, prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Dr E. K. Clark, passed on. Who do you see emerging as the new Ijaw.
