Dr. Alex Otti, Abia state governor, has formally sworn-in the first batch of 24 Permanent Secretaries in Abia State civil service.
The governor charged them to ensure that within the next 24 months, the state should fully migrate to digital platforms for processing, storing official data, retrieving and transferring them.
He also charged them to strive to improve themselves in knowledge so as to add value to the system.
Speaking at the Government House, Umuahia, after the oath of office and allegiance to duties were administered on the 24 Permanent Secretaries by the Director-in-charge, Ministry of Justice, Barr. Emenike Okoro, Governor Otti urged them to be firm and live above board as they discharge their duties in the new Abia.
"In the new Abia, which we are progressively building ,we are more interested in what you can bring to the table. Competence and character for us would always take precedence over place of origin or the religion you profess," he said.
"In selecting the new Permanent Secretaries, the only thing that matters to us is professionalism, a robust understanding of the place of civil service in driving government policies and programmes successfully. We may not have selected perfect individuals, but I am confident the choices we have made aligned strongly with vision of the new civil service we want to build in the State" .
Otti warned them not to engage in any unwholesome activity or corruption and urged them to guide and support Commissioners to succeed in their duties.
The Governor congratulated the Permanent Secretaries and expressed hope that they would live up to their oath of office and allegiance.
Responding on behalf of the new Permanent Secretaries, Mrs. Ngozi Queen Obioma thanked the Governor for appointing them as his first set of Permanent Secretaries.
She assured that they would work in line with the civil service reform agenda of the present administration and promised to justify the confidence reposed in them.
BusinessHallmark understands that there were over 320 applicants that went through the process but 24 emerged successful at the end of the exercise.
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