Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
In what seems unusual in the country, Nigeria but very remarkable, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has sworn-in an Edo State-born Benson Ojeikere as the new Head of Service of the state.
Commissioner for information, Prince Okey Kanu, who disclosed this in Umuahia, described the appointment as unprecedented.
“This is a landmark appointment given the fact that he is not from Abia State but because His Excellency believes in meritocracy and that there is no dividing line between an Abia citizen or a resident. Once you are living in Abia, you are part and parcel of Abia State.
“It is an unprecedented move consistent with the governor’s disposition towards meritocracy and policy of indigeneship, he has sworn in Mr. Benson Ojeikere of Edo state origin as the new Head of Service in Abia state.
Mr. Ojeikere, it was gathered, emerged as the best Corper in the state in the 1999/2000 batch of the NYSC service year and was retained by the then government of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
It was revealed that the new HoS rose through the ranks to be a director and permanent secretary before his present appointment.