*Governor vows merit, competence, integrity will drive recruitments as Abia marks 35 years
*Launches 25-Year devt plan
Boniface Okoro in Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has declared that merit, competence and integrity will remain the sole criteria for appointments and recruitments in his administration, saying the era of “this is somebody’s friend, this is somebody’s wife” is over in the state civil service.
Governor Otti made the declaration during the Abia State Leadership Academy Executive Leadership Series for political appointees and senior public servants held at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia. The event was part of activities marking Abia’s 35th anniversary.
Themed “Strengthening Government Ethical Leadership and Public Service Delivery,” the programme focused on building institutions and preparing a new generation of leaders who can sustain the state’s development beyond the current administration.
Citing examples, the Governor said admissions into Abia State University, especially Medicine and Law, the recruitment of 5,394 new teachers and the ongoing issuance of letters to another 4,074 teachers, as well as the appointment of Permanent Secretaries, have all been made competitive since 2023.
“We had started, last week, interviewing those that had applied, were screened through computer-based testing, passed and then the oral interviews. Since we came in 2023, we made the appointment of Permanent Secretaries competitive. No longer, ‘this is somebody’s friend, this is somebody’s wife’, No,” Otti stated.
He explained that the Leadership Academy and executive education programmes were designed to build people and institutions, not dependence on individuals. Drawing from his interaction with Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, he said good leaders must deliberately develop people who can surpass them.
“It is the essence of this Leadership Academy, the essence of this executive education that we are having today. That is how we want to build our own leadership,” the Governor said.
To entrench continuity, Otti disclosed that his administration has set up a 25-year development plan for Abia which has been legislated upon and cannot be discarded by future governments unless repealed by the State House of Assembly.
He also announced plans to establish the Abia State Bureau of Statistics to improve data availability for planning and budgeting, stressing that accurate data, proper planning and effective supervision are critical to governance.
In his opening remarks, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Meribeole, urged appointees and senior civil servants to uphold competence, integrity, accountability and transparency, noting that public office is a position of trust.
The President of Abia State Leadership Academy, Prof. Kenneth Kalu, said the academy runs Executive Education and Enterprise Development programmes to equip leaders and strengthen small businesses.
Delivering the keynote, former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, said the success of any government depends on the administrative capacity of its people. Using the story of a missing pair of scissors at a commissioning to illustrate his point, he defined state capacity as “the ability of government to convert intention into execution.”
“There is no high-capacity State without high-capacity people,” Chidoka declared, urging appointees to align with career civil servants for effective delivery. He drew lessons from China, Britain, Singapore and Rwanda on the need for merit, execution and accountability.
The event was attended by the Deputy Governor, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and other government appointees.