ABIA – The Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has presented brand-new Geely Emgrand Cars to the 28 Permanent Secretaries in the state civil service to enhance their productivity as well as motivate other civil servants to give their best.
Speaking while presenting the cars to the permanent secretaries during a meeting at the Michael Okpara Auditorium Umuahia, Governor Otti said the gesture was part of his administration’s resolve to restore dignity to the civil service and provide the necessary tools for effective service delivery.
The Governor noted that the appointments of the Permanent Secretaries were done strictly on merit, transparency, and competence, adding that none of them were selected based on personal connection.
The Governor while commending them for their cooperation, described them as instrumental to the success of his administration’s policies and programmes, noting that his government is embarking on a new phase of civil service transformation driven by digitisation to improve efficiency and accountability.
Governor Otti disclosed that he has approved the procurement of internet-ready devices for all Permanent Secretaries, adding that plans were underway to make the entire state internet-enabled as the transition to electronic processes would eliminate delays in official correspondence and promote faster decision-making in government business.
The State Chief Executive assured the beneficiaries that the vehicles were fully paid for by the state government and that they would not bear any cost and expressed confidence that the gesture would result in better service delivery, greater motivation, and a more efficient civil service in the state.
Also speaking, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, commended the Governor for his transparent and unprecedented gesture in providing brand new official vehicles to the state’s Permanent Secretaries, describing him as a visionary leader who’s actions always reflect foresight and commitment to good governance.
In an interview with newsmen, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Sir Chris Onwuegbu and his Ministry of Labour and Productivity counterpart, Mrs Ijeoma Dim, expressed delight over the gesture and described it as a morale booster that would further motivate them to deliver better services to the state.
The Secretary to Abia State Government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu, Commissioners, the State Head of Service, Mr Benson Ojeikere among other top government officials were present during the presentation.
