… hails him as “unsung compass” of public service
By Ayodele Popoola
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, OON, has celebrated former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms and Permanent Secretary in the Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Goke Adegoroye, on his 76th birthday.
Ajulo described him as an “unsung compass” whose wisdom and integrity have continued to shape public service.
In a birthday tribute marking the milestone, Ajulo described Adegoroye, a Prince of Akure and former lecturer at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, as a remarkable scholar, administrator and public servant whose influence extends beyond the offices he has held.
According to Ajulo, Adegoroye has personally served as a trusted source of guidance on complex issues relating to public administration and governance.
“For me, he has been an unsung compass in public service administration—one of those trusted voices I call whenever I encounter a complex issue,” Ajulo said.
He added that Adegoroye possessed a rare ability to provide clarity in difficult situations, noting that his counsel was often profound despite being delivered without fanfare.
“There are people one consults because they occupy an office, and there are those one consults because they possess knowledge. Then there are the very few one consults because their judgement has earned something more valuable than either office or knowledge: trust,” Ajulo stated.
The Ondo State Attorney-General said Adegoroye belonged to the latter category, describing his judgment, experience and temperament as qualities that distinguished him among public administrators.
Ajulo also reflected on Adegoroye’s career trajectory, expressing the view that he had the intellectual capacity, experience, temperament and integrity to have served as either Head of the Civil Service of the Federation or Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“I have often wondered why fate did not make him Head of the Civil Service of the Federation or Secretary to the Government of the Federation. He had the intellect, experience, temperament and integrity for either office. But fate, as they say, has its own handwriting,” he said.
According to Ajulo, however, Adegoroye’s most significant legacy may not be measured by the senior positions he held, but by the people and institutions he influenced throughout his career.
He said the former public servant’s contributions could be seen in “the minds he has sharpened, the institutions he has helped to strengthen and the many people who have found direction through his counsel.”
Ajulo described this as the deeper meaning of public service, stressing that the impact of a public servant should ultimately be measured by the positive difference made in the lives of others and the institutions entrusted to their care.
He prayed for many more years of sound health, peace and fulfilment for Adegoroye, while asking God to preserve his wisdom and continue to make him a blessing to his family, Akure, Ondo State and Nigeria.
“May your compass continue to point towards wisdom, your path towards peace, and your life towards even greater fulfilment,” Ajulo said.