Gov Otti’s Exemplary Stake in Nation Building

Governor Alex Otti’s latest appointment of Mr. Benson Ojeikere, an indigene of Edo State from the South-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria as the Head of Service in Abia State, is pooling accolades and admiration for his leadership style. The reason for this is not far-fetched. In a country where ethnic and religious differences continue to create divisions and deprivation of opportunities, Otti’s decision to base his appointments on merit and competence is laudable.

Ojeikere came to Abia for his mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) decades ago. Due to his excellent performance, he was retained and employed in the state civil service. He served diligently and rose to become a permanent secretary and then the Head of Service, making him the number one civil servant in the state.

Ojeikere rose from Director to Permanent Secretary to Head of Service in less than a year and six months under the administration of Governor Otti. His appointment is in line with the governor’s policy of competence and merit-based promotion and appointments in the state’s civil and public service.

A few years ago, the Imo State Government chased away Abia State indigenes who refused to leave the state civil service after the split of the two states.

No doubt Ojeikere’s appointment as the Head of Service of Abia State by Governor Otti is the first in the history of Nigeria that a State Governor will appoint a non-indigene from another geopolitical zone as the state’s Head of Service.

By this appointment, Governor Otti has not just set a record on national integration, he has practically demonstrated beyond doubt that the cord that binds Nigeria together as a nation is thicker than the languages, cultural differences, and geographical landscapes that unpatriotic citizens hide under to disunite Nigerians and retard the country’s development.

It should serve as a lesson to ethnic bigots who will settle for less in the pursuit of ethnic agenda to the detriment of a merit-based system that brought the developed world to where they are today.