By Yemi Olajutemu
Ado Ekiti
There are moments in public service that feel administrative and procedural, and there are moments that feel historic, deeply human and richly symbolic. Thursday 26th of February 2026, in Ado Ekiti belonged to the latter as Mrs Titilayo Toba Ojo, the Permanent Secretary Local Government Service Commission Ekiti State.
The retired PS, a woman widely regarded as a pathfinder in the Ekiti State Local Government service, formally retired at 60, closing a distinguished chapter while simultaneously opening another with the public presentation of her book titled “The Grassroot Engine”.
The celebration blended gratitude, reflection and renewal.
Earlier in the day, the atmosphere at the Commission was thick with emotion as colleagues gathered for her Pen Down ceremony, a ritual that marks the formal exit of a civil servant from active duty but, in this case, felt more like the end of an era than a routine transition.
As the first female Permanent Secretary in the Ekiti State Local Government service to rise through the ranks, her journey had long transcended personal achievement to become a reference point for possibility, discipline and institutional memory within the system.
By evening, what began as a solemn administrative rite had transformed into a grand celebration as family members, friends, technocrats, traditional rulers and top government functionaries converged in the state capital to commemorate her 60th birthday and witness the launch of her book, an intellectual offering that underscored her commitment not only to service but to documentation and legacy.
The gathering reflected the reach of a career defined by mentorship, high standards and an insistence on doing things properly even when shortcuts beckoned.
Described repeatedly by colleagues as an Administrator per Excellence who never compromised on standards, Toba Ojo, an Isan Ekiti born heroine was showered with encomiums that went beyond ceremonial praise to specific testimonies of lives shaped and careers refined under her guidance, with many attributing their professional confidence and ethical grounding to her firm but nurturing leadership style.
Gifts flowed, tributes poured in and emotions occasionally broke through carefully composed speeches, revealing the depth of affection that had accumulated over decades of consistent service.
In her valedictory address, an elated yet reflective Titilayo Toba-Ojo expressed profound gratitude to Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, commending what she described as his non intrusive approach to governance which, in her view, created room for professionalism to thrive within the civil service.
She spoke warmly of the working relationship she enjoyed with the Chairman of the Commission and board members, noting that they functioned with rare harmony and mutual respect, navigating institutional challenges together in a manner that made her feel fully integrated rather than isolated.
Overwhelmed by the scale of the turnout and the depth of appreciation expressed, she admitted that she had not fully grasped the extent of her impact until confronted with the sight of former colleagues and protégés who had travelled and rearranged schedules simply to honour her.
She interpreted the gesture as evidence of divine faithfulness rather than personal accomplishment. It was a moment of vulnerability that humanised a career often associated with structure and authority.
Yet even in celebration, Titilayo Toba-Ojo returned to principle. Addressing the next generation of civil servants, she counselled transparency, loyalty and dedication, urging them to protect the integrity of the system and ensure that institutional processes remain alive and credible.
Transparency, she insisted, must remain a watchword, pointing to what she described as Governor Oyebanji’s example of open governance as a factor contributing to visible development across the state. 
The event ultimately transcended retirement formalities to become a meditation on legacy and leadership within the public sector, with speakers unanimously hailing her as a mentor, reform minded administrator and trailblazer for women in the local government service, particularly in a context where rising through the ranks demands resilience, competence and unyielding discipline.
Her career, many noted, had quietly dismantled ceilings without theatrics, replacing them with pathways for others to follow.
As the evening drew to a close and photographs captured smiles that blended relief with pride, it became clear that Titilayo Toba Ojo’s retirement was less a withdrawal from relevance and more a transition into a different kind of influence, one anchored in authorship, mentorship and moral authority.
At 60, she did not merely step away from the desk, she turned a page, leaving behind an administrative footprint and stepping forward with a legacy that will continue to echo through the corridors of Ekiti’s local government service for years to come.
The Husband of the celebrant Mr Toba Ojo described his wife as a gift, a rare gem whose impact in the family and everywhere she gets to, always leave astonishing footprint.
The event was attended by dignitaries from across different sectors including all the chairmen of local governments in the state, the leadership and members of NULGE, permanent secretaries, traditional rulers including the Onisan Oba Ayodele Adejuwon, the Olufaki Oba, Oba Adegbenro Falore, the state commisioner for women affairs Mrs Peju Babafemi among others.