Repositioning Abia Civil Service for excellent service delivery
By Ogbonnaya Ikokwu
Gov. Alex Otti has remained committed to his promise to reposition the state civil service for optimal performance and efficient service delivery.
Although government workers are usually hired to man its ministries, agencies and paratatals on the basis of their performance in competitive recruitment examinations, in Abia and Nigeria generally, the reverse has been the case over the years.
Clannishness and other self-serving motives had always taken precedence over merit in the recruitment process.
The civil service in Abia State has faced many challenges, including corruption, mismanagement, ghost workers’ syndrome, incompetence and the lack of accountability. This is the reason many civil servants cannot discharge their roles effectively and efficiently.
In his determination to right the wrongs of the past, Gov. Otti, on assumption of office, vowed to carry out reforms in the civil service aimed at promoting merit over favouritism and nepotism.
He promised that only those who demonstrate requisite diligence and excellence in the discharge of their duties shall remain in service, adding that technology would be used to support the civil service in the state.
The governor had already hit the ground running with various reforms that are already restoring the dignity of the civil service and prodiving a sound reward system for deserving public servants.
One of such reforms was the elimination of the obnoxious policy of core and uncore civil servants introduced by the administration of former Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu. The harsh policy, where civil servants in the ministry were paid salaries when the then administration wished, saw those in government agencies and paratatals owed for several months, thus making life difficult and unbearable for them.
Today, civil servants are paid as and when due, irrespective of the ministry, agency or paratatals where they work. Pensioners are also benefiting from the governor’s resolve that those who served the state in their active days should not be left to suffer, hence the regular payment of their pensions.
Again, Gov. Otti also authorized the verification of civil and public servants in the state. The exercise, which included biometric and physical verification of workers, was intended to eliminate ghost workers.
The exercise was also expected to remove hitches in the payment of salaries, allowances and, among other things, check salary padding and checkmate other sharp practices among corrupt personnel in the system.
Indeed, the state civil service has been purged of many vices, such as the ghost workers’ syndrome, absenteeism, bribery and corruption to a large extent. The real and genuine workers have started enjoying the dividend of the service, which includes prompt and regular payment of salaries and other fringe benefits, including leave allowances and regular promotions.
Gov. Otti took many doubters of his merit-based policy by surprise when he appointed 24 permanent secretaries based on merit. Beyond that, the governor has also appointed and inaugurated Mr Benson Ojeikere as the new Head of Service of the state.
The appointment of Ojeikere, an indigene of Edo State, was
made public by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the first State Executive Council meeting of 2025, presided over by Gov. Otti. Kanu described the appointment as unprecedented.
He said: “This is a landmark appointment given the fact that he is not from Abia state but because His Excellency believes in meritocracy and that there is no dividing line between an Abia citizen or a resident. Once you are living in Abia, you are part and parcel of Abia state.
“It is an unprecedented move and, consistent with the governor’s disposition towards meritocracy and policy of indigeneship, he has swore in Mr Benson Ojeikere of Edo State origin as the new Head of Service in Abia State.
“Mr Ojeikere, who emerged as the best Corper in Abia State in the 1999/2000 batch of the NYSC service year, was retained by the then State Government and he has gone ahead to justify the confidence reposed in him and risen through the ranks to be a Director, a Permanent Secretary and now the Head of Service.”
The appointment of the new HOS has proved the governor’s belief in the principle that all residents of Abia, regardless of place of origin, are equal stakeholders in the state’s progress.
It’s expected that Ojeikere would bring his wealth of experience to bear in his new assignment. He should endeavour to escalate the governor’s ideas of building a civil service where professionalism, competency should be the watchword.
He should restore the culture of impartiality, transparency, and accountability in all his dealings, in order to make the civil service customer-friendly and responsive to the needs of society.
Gov. Otti has also renovated many delapitated public buildings housing various ministries, agencies and parastatals. The workers secretariat at Ogwurube Layout, Umuahia has long been given a facelift.
Starting with the building of a parameter fence, connecting the facility to the national grid for power supply, installation of solar-panels as backup as well as streetlights and sinking of a borehole with overhead tanks in the facility were some of the government’s steps to create a conducive work environment to enable the civil servants to perform optimally.
Not done, the governor has equally completed the JACK Building, which is now housing the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftain Affairs. Gov. Otti also invested N900 million in the reconstruction and retrofitting of long abandoned Nnamdi Azikiwe Secretariat.
Therefore, civil servants in the state should brace up and accept the reforms of the current administration with an open heart as they can help build them up to become bigger players in the organized private sector, after retirement.
Civil servants must shun bribery, corruption, age falsification, padding and diversion of salary, if they want to hand over strong and service-oriented public institutions to the coming generation.
#Gov. Otti is Building the new Abia!
#To God be glory!
Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, a journalist and public affairs analyst, writes from Umuahia.