Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Patience N. Oyekunle, has called on staff of the Ministry to strengthen collaboration and maintain a productive working relationship as the Ministry commences activities for the 2026 work year.
Mrs. Oyekunle made the call during her maiden Town-Hall Meeting with Management and Staff of the Ministry in Abuja, following her assumption of duty in November, 2025.
Welcoming staff and wishing them a happy New Year, the Permanent Secretary expressed optimism that the year 2026 would be great and reaffirmed her commitment to working with them to move the Ministry forward.
She described her presence at the meeting as a privilege and emphasized the need to foster a positive working relationship, despite prevailing economic challenges.
She noted that while the economic realities may pose difficulties, they should not hinder cooperation and productivity within the Ministry.
The Permanent Secretary disclosed that since assuming duty, she has held extensive engagements with Directors and Heads of Units across the Ministry, describing the deliberations as useful and assured staff that management is working collectively to advance the objectives of the Ministry.
Mrs. Oyekunle also acknowledged the support of the Ministers and expressed confidence that continued collaboration would help improve operations and ensure alignment with the statutory mandate of the Ministry.
As the year begins, she urged Staff to commit fully to ongoing initiatives, stressing that every officer and staff member is critical to the assignment of the Ministry.
She further called on staff to support the Ministers in delivering their commitments inline with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
On digital operations, the Permanent Secretary recalled that the Federal Civil Service formally ended manual documentation in 2025 and restated that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources was onboarded on 24th December, 2025.
She stated that the Ministry is working towards the full implementation of the Electronic Content Management, ECM, system, noting that the transition will be phased based on the availability of resources.
According to her, training and the necessary tools will be provided to ensure that all staff effectively utilize the ECM platform.
Reaffirming her commitment to staff welfare, the Permanent Secretary described it as a top priority. She disclosed that the Ministry would ensure full participation in relevant sporting activities, maintain a functional health care system through the Ministry’s clinic, and ensure the prompt payment of repatriation allowances to retirees.
In the area of capacity development, Mrs. Oyekunle pointed out that she has directed the Director of Human Resources Management to develop the Ministry’s 2026 training schedule.
In his remarks, the Director, Human Resources Management, Mr. Christopher Essien, said the Town-Hall meeting was convened at the instance of the Permanent Secretary, in line with the Ministry’s tradition whenever a new Permanent Secretary assumes office.
He noted that the meeting provided an opportunity for staff to share concerns and ideas on moving the Ministry forward and called for a robust working relationship with the Permanent Secretary.
The highlight of the Town-Hall meeting was the questions and answers session where the Permanent Secretary responded to questions raised by the staff.
