By CHARLES IWUOHA

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has reiterated his commitment to merit based civil service system, saying that the service he is building is founded on merit.

Otti stated this on Monday while receiving in his office, a delegation of Federal Civil Service Commissioner and State Chairmen of Civil Service led by the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa.

The Governor emphasised that he is interested in merit and not quota system or State of origin of a staff or a prospective staff.

"So, what that has done is that people have understood now that what would promote you will be hard work and excellence, not who you know.

"Quota system doesn't work here. And we don't know State of origin.

"We just hired 5,394 teachers. We didn't care where they came from. In fact, from an analysis that was done by my people, a lot of them came from Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.

"What we are interested in, is not where they come from, but what they have in their head.

"We want to depart from what they use to do. So, that's the civil service that we are building will be service and competence driven. And we also have been trying very hard to correct the wrongs of the past", Gov. Otti stated.

Governor Otti, who said that he has noted some of the comments about the strategic plan of the Federal Civil Service Commission to reform the service, assured that he would respond even before they ask.

The State Chief Executive reiterated his commitment to transform the Abia Civil Service, "We've tried to reinvent the civil service because the civil service is the engine room of any government."

He noted that pensions were not being paid in the past, but he has changed the narratives, disclosing that, he set up a committee which discovered that the gratuity owed pensioners in the State since 2001 is over 60.1 billion Naira.

The Governor said that "we're now thinking of how to take them out. And these are people who have worked. And they're retired.

"Some of them are dead. Maybe if they got this money, they would still be alive today. So that's what it is. So, it looks difficult, but it's very easy.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission, Professor Tunji Olaopa, said that they are in the State for the 44th national conference of the Civil Service Commission and announced that Abia has been selected as the first pilot partner in the National Strategic Plan aimed at revolutionising career management, redesign and modernize public service processes in Nigeria.

Professor Olaopa commended Governor Otti for his results-driven leadership that speaks for itself, saying that Governor Otti is performing.

"We are enlisting some partners in the States’ Commissions and I am very proud to say that Abia State happens to be the first on the list of pilots.

"I am proud of Governor Otti's achievements and he is doing it without noise", Prof. Olaopa stated.

The Secretary to the State Government, Professor Kenneth Kalu, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, the Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Uwaoma Ukandu, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, the Commissioner for basic and secondary education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, the Chairman, Abia State Civil Service Commission, Pastor Eno Jerry-Eze among others were present during the visit.

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