Making a promise to clear the backlog of retirees’ gratuities before the end of the year, the Governor of Cross River State Sen Bassey Edet Otu, has said that due process must be prioritized at all times.
Otu, who made the commitment, during the swearing-in ceremony of the new Head of Service of Cross River State Dr. Innocent Eteng also stated that “To whom much is given, much is expected.”
Feeling with the pensioners the kind of pain they felt after retirement, Gov. Otu said “It is saddening that someone would serve for 35 years, save for a rainy day, and then die for lack of cash to attend to their health needs.”
Otu who realized how deflated and down are the retirees in the state, further insisted that such ugly trend must stop.
“We want to build a smart civil service,” he told the new Head of Service. “You will understand that we do not play politics with civil servants. You are coming at a very precarious time where the state civil service is at the brink.”
As he Congratulated him for the appointment, Governor Otu reminded him that the bureaucracy is very important as the engine of government.
“We want you to rejig and put things in proper perspectives,” he assured. “My doors would be open to you at all times.”
He obviously was very much interested in knowing that their contributory pension is due them at the end of the day, when he said. “Without these people, continuity in governance would not be possible.”
Without a hint of sarcasm in his voice, Governor Otu added, “We want the civil servants to be focused in their places of assignment.”
As he keeps the emotion out of his voice, Otu said that his administration was looking for a way to retain some of those retirees in order to mentor and transfer knowledge to the younger generation of civil servants.
He acknowledged the depletion of personnel especially the older and more experienced ones in the service, when he enjoined the Head of Service to take charge and deliver to the best of his ability for the betterment of the service and the state at large.
“As a man of intellect, robust, energetic, charismatic, fearless, hardworking and sound,” the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh, said Dr. Eteng, whose appointment is so well-deserved, until his appointment was serving in the SSG’s office as Permanent Secretary.
Truth Live News learned that the newly sworn-in Head of Service, Dr. Innocent Eteng, expressed gratitude to the Governor for finding him worthy of the assignment of recalibrating and reforming the state civil service, saying he will do his best.