Prioritise Capacity Building, Professional Growth Among Workforce Gov. Eno Tells New HoCS

In a bid to boost the state’s human resources capacity, Akwa Ibom Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has mandated the newly appointed Head of Civil Service, Mrs Elsie Anietie Peters, to spearhead the training and retraining of the state workforce with a view to enhancing professionalism, even as he emphasises the need for efficiency and commitment.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held at Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo, the Governor noted that the Civil Service is critical to the success of the ARISE Agenda and must be well-positioned to deliver on its responsibilities.

“The Civil Service is the critical piece of our ARISE Agenda, and it is my hope and belief that, under the leadership of the new Head of Service, we will continue to work together, grow together and serve our dear State with faithfulness, dedication and unbridled passion,” he said.

Governor Eno, who has won various awards as the most worker-friendly Governor, said the state under his leadership will remain committed to the welfare of workers, emphasising that “salaries are paid regularly, the same with pensions, and most of what the organised labour and the state government had agreed to do are being done. We have one of the most robust and collaborative Labour-Government relations in the country, and we remain dedicated to doing even more.

“We remain dedicated to the improvement of the welfare of our civil service workers. We have demonstrated this through the regular payment of gratuities, which we met at N110 billion backlog from 2012 to May 29, 2023. Today, we have paid over N75.2 billion of the inherited backlog. N1.3b was recently released, and we have cleared the backlog from 2012 to March 2021.

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“You would agree with me that this is a great achievement and a fulfilment of my campaign promise. We will continue to pay down the backlog until the outstanding is completely cleared, and we thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the funds he has provided the states to carry out both their capital and recurrent expenditures. We have to show those who served our State diligently that we care,” he added.

He congratulated the new head of the civil service, saying that with her background and experience, she has what it takes to lead a civil service where the key ingredients would be loyalty to the State and the Governor, and a good understanding of the ideals that shape the ARISE Agenda.

The Governor advised all appointees of the government to be faithful to their call.

“Faithfulness, which is also loyalty, is not optional but a requirement. God looks for faithfulness more than talents. God does not look for the most gifted, the most educated, the most charismatic, or the most visible. He looks for the most faithful.”

Referring to Matthew 6:24, he equally advised those playing hide and seek to desist from it, as no one can serve two masters at the same time.

The state chief executive charged government appointees and workers to remain loyal, faithful, and productive in services for the betterment of the State.

“Everybody may not agree with us, and that is understood and allowed. But what we will not tolerate is for people to believe that they can be in the government and be working against the government.

“Those who are not willing and ready to work with us and show loyalty to what we stand for are free to leave. My appointees are called “Aides to the Governor”. They are expected to work closely with the Governor and interpret his vision for the development of the State. Faithfulness and loyalty should be sacrosanct and non-negotiable, and this is not an Akwa Ibom standard; it is a universal standard, so we are not reinventing the wheel here.

“Let me also say here that those who think they can try our resolve to maintain peace should have a rethink,” he said.

Governor Eno appreciated the immediate past Head of Service, Elder Effiong Essien, for his diligent service to the State, especially “for the great contributions he made in aligning the civil service with our governance philosophy, the ARISE Agenda, and for being in the vanguard of interpreting my vision to have a lean, professional and ICT-enabled civil service.”

Fielding questions from Government House Correspondents shortly after her swearing-in, Mrs Elsie Peters thanked God and Governor Umo Eno for the privilege, pledging to take the State Civil Service to an enviable dimension as obtainable in civilised climes.

At the ceremony were the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah, Chief Assam Assam, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Obong Stephen Ntukekpo; Senator Effiong Bob, Former Deputy Governor, Obong Nsima Ekere; Executive Assistant/Chief Delivery Advisor, Mr Aniefiok Johnson, among others.