Ishmael Avui is one of few fine examples of any well-disciplined public servants.
This is how chairman of Public Service Commission Elliam Tangirongo described the outgoing permanent secretary, Friday.
Avui, who has been Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service in the last eight years, resigned to contest the North-East Guadalcanal seat.
Tangirongo said Avui is leaving the public service with a wealth of experience.
He said despite changes of governments and ministers, Avui remained one of the key figures who retained the PS post at the Public Service Ministry over the last eight years.
Before taking up the post of Permanent Secretary, Avui walked through various on his way to the top.
“How he eventually becomes that person who manages all government human resource people is something that comes through sacrifices,” Tangirongo said.
Avuileft high school sometimes between 1986 and 1987.
He was one of those fortunate at that time to be given a scholarship and was able to study Bachelors in Public Sector Management at the University of the South Pacific, Laucala campus in Fiji.
His high performance at USP earned him a straight selection for further studies, on which he under took diploma in economics at the Manchester University in England.
That was a bonus that made him quick to find a job when he came back and joined the public service ministry as an administration officer then.
“I earn a salary at that time of $150. That was in 1988,” Avui recalled.
Though little he earned, his commitment shown towards work was outstanding and exceptional that he got recognised after sometime.
That recognition took him further when he got accepted to study for his masters degree in Australia.
“I got accepted to do my masters in Human Resource Management at Monash University in Melbourne.
“Having completed my studies, I returned and was eventually given the post of Principle Administration officer, a position I held for quite a while,” he said.
Making steady and competent progress, Avui’s stint as Principle administration officer was just the beginning of more good things to come.
His promotion, he said, came through hard work and perseverance.
He continued to work hard to serve his country.
His hard work and commitment was paid off when he got a further promotion to be chief administration officer at the Ministry of Public Service.
Not so long after, he was again elevated to the post of Under Secretary, a position he held for five years.
By 2004, he has established himself and a reputation that was difficult not to recognise.
And so he was appointed to the post of Permanent Secretary for the first time that year.
Time passes by and government changes, but Avui’s hold in the Ministry of Public Service, was firm that he got another term of four years when his first contract lapsed.
Tangirongo said Avui was a man of great discipline.
He said some of Avui’s achievements in the public service are:
· Review of the public service Act which is currently in its draft stage which will be hopeful be making a great impact on how the public service will move forward in the future.
· Performance Management Policy
· Absentiseem Management Policy
· Decentralisation of the Appointment and recruitment process
· Human Resource Management and Information System which aims at having accurate data for the public service workforce
· Code of conduct
· Remuneration for the public service
Tangirongo said the public service will miss the presence and wisdom of Avui.
BY BRADFORD THEONOMI
