Otti Swears In 24 Permanent Secretaries to Drive His Vision for New Abia

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Abia State Governor, Mr. Alex Otti, yesterday swore in 24 permanent secretaries he appointed to drive the new Abia he is building.

The permanent secretaries constitute the first set that has been appointed by the Otti’s administration after the governor had suspended and later sacked almost all the permanent secretaries he inherited from the previous government.

Speaking after the oath of office was administered on the brand new top civil servants, Otti said that the 24 were carefully selected from among 320 applicants following a thorough process.

He charged them to be alive to their duties and live aboard board in discharging their responsibilities, adding that they should keep upgrading themselves in knowledge and new skills in order to add value to the system.

“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,” the Abia governor said.

Otti told the new permanent secretaries that they would fit into the new Abia if they constantly improve themselves to “learn, relearn, and unlearn.”

“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,” Otti said.

According to him, self-improvement has become imperative in Abia civil service because “we shall fully migrate to digital platforms for processing and storing official data, retrieving and transferring them securely from place to place as may be needed.”

The Abia chief executive explained that when the new system would become fully operational, bureaucracy would be eliminated as government business would be running fast and smooth.

He said: “Individuals and businesses would no longer need to travel to Umuahia or even any local government headquarters to submit files, process payments or make a complaint from the comfort of their home from any part of the world or at any time of the day.”

He sternly 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 newly sworn-in permanent secretaries in the state include Lady Joy Maduka, Ngozi Queen Obioma, Paul Ogwubunka, Uche Ukpabia Ukeje, Okezie Godwin Chukwudike, Justine Oluchi Ebo, and Ogechukwu I. Maduka.

Others are Izuchukwu Onwughara, Obi-Chianakwalam Elechi  Agatha, Ifenyinwa B. Uma-Kalu, Ogechi Becky Oguama, Ijeoma Clara Dim, Nwanyieze O. Otum, Ugonma Mercy Jimonu, Benson Ojeikere, Uchechukwu Kalu, and Ikechukwu Chidozie Oriuwa.

Also included in the new set of permanent secretaries are Ijeoma Adanma Aguwa, Florence Chidinma Nwogu, Magdalene Kalu Onwu,Ezinne Judith Ngwakwe, Cyril Chibuike Nwaigwe, Ugochukwu Elefue Kingston and Onwuegbu Christopher Nlewedim.