Governor Hope Uzodimma has sworn-in 11 newly appointed Permanent Secretaries in the Imo State Civil Service with a charge on them to extend their loyalty to the people of Imo State and not him.

However, the Governor challenged them to key into the Shared Prosperity Government of his administration which is about Imo people by refraining from any action that is antithetical to the goals of his administration.

Swearing in the new Permanent Secretaries at the Sam Mbakwe Executive Council Chambers Government House Owerri on Tuesday, Governor Uzodimma said: “You are responsible and answerable to only God and the merit driven system that produced you, in that case, the Imo State Government.”

The Governor reiterated that the Permanent Secretaries as the chief drivers of the process towards the actualisation of the goal of Civil Service owe nobody any debt for emerging as permanent secretary.

He emphasised that Permanent Secretaries are truly the accounting officers in charge of their various MDAs, noting that nobody subverts the rules of the service for personal or political aggrandizement, stressing that anybody who plays politics will be treated as a saboteur. “This is a brand new order that this administration has enthroned to the glory of God and the good of Imo State.”

Governor Uzodimma noted that “the old sordid things have passed away” and that he has “come with a new order of getting what belongs to you through merit, competence and diligence without bribery, zoning nor through religious or political affiliation as it was in the past.”

The Governor further reiterated that “for the first time after a while, Permanent Secretaries emerged on the strength of merit, that is on proven competence in the management of the service and deep knowledge of the civil service.”

He enjoined them to flee from nepotism, corruption and the like but serve with utmost honesty and diligence to end their career in glory.

Governor Uzodimma congratulated them on their well deserved career progression of scaling through all the rigorous processes and for attaining the peak of civil service which is a higher call to serve Imo State with the last ounce of strength in them.

In a response on behalf of her colleagues, Mrs. Edith Ekenze, also one of the newly sworn-in Permanent Secretaries, she showed gratitude to God Almighty for making their dreams come through after so many years of expectations.

Ekenze said they have pledged their unalloyed and unrelenting loyalty to the 3R mantra of Governor Uzodimma’s administration, promising that they will join hands to ensure that his policies and programmes are translated into concrete reality.

“To whom much is given much is expected and the reward for good job is more work.”

The Permanent Secretaries sworn-in include: Mrs. Edith C. Ekenze, Mrs. Morah Chux-Okoro, Obiyo Ifeanyi C., Udeh Reginald Osonwa (Rev), Akowundu Cletus Ndubuisi, Dr. Daniel John Ogacheko, Ogunsanya Bimbola, Onwuchi Sabina N. (Mrs.), Nwaugo Nnenna Obiageri (Mrs.), Okeoma Godson O. and Lady Hope Ihuoma Anyiam.

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