The Abia State Government has constituted a committee to review command promotions in the State’s civil service from 2007 to date.
This was disclosed to DAILY POST in Umuahia through a press release from Adaeze Ralph Igbokwe, the Director of Information, office of the Abia State Head of Service.
Among other terms of reference given to the Committee are: to review the process of appointments, promotions and dismissal, review the present Civil Service structure, recommend ways of addressing pensions and ensure attendance to work and general discipline.
Inaugurating the committee in Umuahia, Governor Alex Otti described the civil Service as indispensable in the execution of government policies and programmes.
He charged the members to perform their duties in line with the visions and missions of the present administration.
Otti, who spoke through the Secretary to the State government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu, maintained that the setting up of the committee was not to witch-hunt anyone but to make for a healthy, proactive and quality service in the overall development of the State and to the benefit of the citizenry.
The Governor also made it clear that the committee is independent.
He, however, requested it to work with the Office of the Head of Service to actualize the government’s purpose.
Speaking also, the Head of Service, Lady Joy Maduka pledged the total cooperation of her office to particularly provide useful information, towards a timely delivery of the job assigned to them.
Responding, the Co-Chairman, Dr. Chibueze Ukaegbu appreciated the Governor for finding them fit to serve the State in that capacity and expressed the hope that they would justify the confidence reposed on them.
The inauguration of the committee has been commended by some civil servants who claimed they were either disengaged or dismissed from the service during the period under review.
But findings by DAILY POST also showed that cases of those who may have ‘leapfrogged’ to promotion may also be looked into by the committee.