Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has sworn-in the Chief Political Adviser/Head Political Bureau to the Government of Imo State, Barr. Enyinna Onuegbu and the new Head of Service of Imo State (HOS), Barr Raymond Obioma Ucheoma.

Addressing them and their well wishers at the New Exco Chambers Government House Owerri, Friday, the Governor said that the appointment of the Chief Political Adviser/Head of Political Bureau was made "to add value to the political content" of his administration and to ensure that what his government does "will translate to what the people expect politically."

Governor Uzodimma said regarding the office of Barr. Onuegbu that, "the works of every government in a political dispensation must have political content and in every benefit of democracy there must be tangible and intangible gains."

He added: "Whatever every good administration does it must factor in the interest of the people. In other words, the government is bound to think of how the people will benefit from its political decisions.

"The political party is only a means to an end and not an end to itself. Imo State government belongs to APC, APC does not belong to Imo State.”

To the Head of Service, the Governor noted: “It has become very necessary to recover and revive the Civil Service of Imo State and that informed the need for the appointment of a new Head of Service.”

He charged the new Head of Service to "take up the responsibility and make the Civil Service a viable and productive one by looking at the anomalies inherent in the service and effect the necessary corrections."

The Governor urged the new Head of Service to work hard to deliver on the mandate given to him so that he can be judged by the result that he produced.

“Everything in life is likened to a Computer which is anchored on input and output. The interest of our people should be the output."

Furthermore, Governor Uzodimma expressed worry over the rot in the Civil Service and painted a gory picture of the incompetence he observed in the leadership.

He said that the Civil Service as a White Collar job requires White Collar behaviour, insisting that "the civil servants should be the State’s own role model in terms of appearance, dress code, behaviour and conduct."

He reiterated that lack of the above has compelled government to bring in the new Head of Service to rejig the system.

Governor Uzodimma re-emphasized competence and performance and the need to rewrite the wrongs in the Civil Service, noting that in the Corporate world every establishment works hard to earn what they eat.

"Therefore the Civil Service should cue into the aphorism of 'pay as you earn'.”

He therefore told the Head of Service to "go and deliver, clean up the system so that Imo State will have the best Civil Service."

Promising to give him all the support he needs to succeed, the Governor said "to whom much is given, much is expected."

In his appreciation, Barr. Onuegbu thanked the Governor for appointing him into such a higher position that brings him closer to the Chief Executive of the State.

He pledged to continually remain a loyal servant of the Governor and to deliver on his mandate, assuring not to let down the government and people of Imo State.

In his response, Barr. Ucheoma thanked the Governor for bringing him on board as the Head of Service of Imo State, saying by the appointment he has been empowered to speak on "observable lapses in the Civil Service of Imo State," and work towards correcting them.

He promised to deliver on the mandate of rejigging the Civil Service with the assistance of the Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and Directors in all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Those that witnessed the swearing-in ceremony were: the Deputy Governor, Prof. Placid Njoku, the Speaker Imo State House of Assembly, Barr. Kennedy Ibe, the Secretary to the State Government, Chief. Cosmas Iwu, the Chief of Staff, Barr. Nnamdi Anyaehie, top government functionaries and Permanent Secretaries in the Imo State Civil Service.

•PHOTO: Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma (middle), Head of Service, Barr Raymond Ucheoma (right) and Chief Political Adviser/Head, Political Bureau to Governor Hope Uzodimma, Barr. Enyinna Onuegbu, after their swearing-in at the New Exco Chamber, Government House, Owerri

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