Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has announced the termination of a long-standing practice that allowed retired permanent secretaries in the state civil service to continue working on contract after their official retirement.

This practice is often criticized for hindering career progression among lower-level workers and seen as a means for politicians to reward loyalists.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for six new Permanent Secretaries at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Friday, Governor Fubara harped on the need to allow new individuals to take over these roles.

He urged the newly appointed Permanent Secretaries to prioritise the state’s interests, warning that any misconduct would result in dismissal.

Among those sworn in was Mrs. Anthonia Iyaye-Ekise, an ace broadcaster who serves as a compere in Government House.

Iyaye-Ekise began her career with the Rivers State Radio Broadcasting Service shortly after completing secondary school.

She was transferred from Radio Rivers 99.1FM to the Government House, last year.

The new permanent secretaries were immediately presented with official cars shortly after the ceremony.

Similarly, Governor Fubara issued a directive to the Rivers State Civil Service Commission, mandating that no Information and Communications Technology (ICT) staff within the State Civil Service be promoted without obtaining certification from the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN).

The CPN, established by Decree No. 49 of 1993, is responsible for overseeing and regulating the computing profession in Nigeria in collaboration with the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS).

Governor Fubara made this announcement during a dinner held at Government House in Port Harcourt on Thursday night for delegates who attended the 2024 International Conference of the Nigeria Computer Society.

He said the measure Is part of his administration’s efforts to eliminate unqualified individuals in the sector and to accelerate the integration of technology in the workplace, thereby enhancing service delivery in the state.

The governor restated his commitment to ensuring that civil servants in the ICT sector are properly certified before they can be considered for promotions.

He also assured the delegates that his administration would provide full support to ensure that the NCS is recognized and respected in Rivers State.

The governor stated that the state’s focus on ICT has already yielded significant benefits, including more than doubling the government’s internally generated revenue (IGR) and fully automating the State Civil Service.

He further said that all recruitment into the State Civil Service is now conducted online, and other work processes have been digitized, underscoring the government’s commitment to making the state’s economy technology-driven. (Channels TV)

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