The Abia State Government has launched a crusade against corruption in civil service, urging civil servants and stakeholders to join forces in the fight.
In his inaugural meeting with Permanent Secretaries, in his office, Abia State of Head of Service, Mr Benson Ojeikere condemned corruption in all its forms, stating that it has no place in the civil service and so must be eliminated. “Corruption is a cankerworm that undermines the integrity of our institutions, erodes public trust, and hinders our ability to deliver quality services to the people.”
The HOS who called on Permanent Secretaries and Heads of other Agencies to ensure accountability and transparency in government operations also enjoined them to closely monitor the activities of their staff as they would be held responsible and for their actions.
The number one Civil Servant also stressed the need for the workers to rebuild their image following the negative perception of the public towards the civil servants.
The Head of Service who observed with regrets that the actions of some civil/public servants have tarnished the reputation of the service charged workers to be committed in restoring the dignity of the Service by blatantly refusing undue influence and upholding honesty and integrity in and outside the service.
Mr. Ojeikere requested Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to embark on in-house trainings for their staff aimed at educating them on public service Rules and financial regulations etc, assuring the readiness of the government to train and retrain the workforce for excellent performance.
In her contribution, the permanent Secretary Ministry of finance Mrs Obi Chianakwalam who appealed that staff and Pensioners with verification challenges be resolved to facilitate their salaries and pensions payment assured their preparedness to make the service more responsive, efficient and effective in serving the needs of the citizens.
