The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has charged the state’s new head of Civil Service to align the service with the administration’s governance philosophy while working with clarity and brevity, emphasizing need for efficiency and commitment.
Governor Eno speaking during the swearing in ceremony at the Banquet hall, Government House Uyo, urged her to be loyal and committed in the interpretation of his administration’s vision through the ARISE Agenda.
Swearing in Mrs Elsie Anietie Peters as the 7th Head of Civil Service, making her the 4th female to hold the position, Governor Eno 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 Governor urged her to work collaboratively with civil servants, providing training and expose them to opportunities that will enhance their skills and keep them updated with the latest trends in the civil service.
“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 with unbridled passion,” he said.
The Governor reaffirmed his commitment to the improvement of worker’s welfare, emphasising that, “salaries are paid regularly, same with pensions, and most of what the Organized 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- 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 -March 2021.
“You would agree with me, that this is a great achievement and a fulfillment of my campaign promise. We will continue to pay down the backlog until the outstanding is completely cleared. We have to show those who served our State diligently that we care,” he added.
Governor Eno lauded 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.
Speaking with newsmen, the new head of the state civil service, appreciated the state governor for deeming her fit for the position, assuring to do her best as she takes up the new role.
Mrs Peters urged civil servants to embrace reforms and changes expected to take the service to greater heights meeting international standards
