Abia Governor Swears In New Commissioner

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR has sworn in six new commissioners to rejuvenate and support the State Executive Council.

These newly sworn-in commissioners are a group of professionals from diverse sectors.

Speaking to the new commissioners after they received the oaths of office and allegiance from the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Mr Ogubunka, the Governor congratulated and thanked them for their service to the State.

"I want to thank the new Commissioners for agreeing to serve our dear state and contribute to its development," he said.

Governor Otti informed the new commissioners that they are expected to be excellent administrators and team players to successfully execute programs and agendas in their ministries. He urged them to do everything to fulfill their mandate.

"We have carefully selected these highly accomplished individuals to bring new ideas and vitality to our team. The new appointments were made in accordance with our mission to establish a robust structure that supports excellent service delivery," he added.

"As I mentioned in this hall a few weeks ago, effective leadership requires continuous team building, finding the right people, and placing them where they will thrive. The task of public sector governance is immense and demands having the right people on board in the right positions to drive the central agenda of the administration across multiple frontiers," he stated.

"One of the key features of our administration is moving away from practices that have stifled growth and dynamism. We have publicly rejected the traditional recruitment pattern of filling strategic government positions with cronies who contribute little to the execution of government business," Gov. Otti noted.

However, the Governor warned the new appointees that there is no room for infighting, emphasizing that his administration has a zero tolerance policy for corruption and any action capable of compromising the government's reputation.

The Governor also announced that further restructuring of Ministries will be made to strengthen the state's governance architecture, as well as make the Ministries more dynamic and productive. This will be announced shortly.

"To further strengthen the governance architecture, there will be more restructuring of the Ministries to support the realization of the administration's objectives and empower the commissioners to function optimally in their respective Ministries, which will be announced shortly," he explained.

The Governor also revealed that his government is working on establishing the Greater Ohafia Development Authority to oversee the development of Abia North.

Responding on behalf of her colleagues, Dr. (Mrs) Maureen Ijeoma Aghukwa expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to serve. She thanked the Governor for finding them worthy to serve and promised not to disappoint him, assuring that they will give their best to advance the State.

The newly sworn-in commissioners are: Mr. David U. Kalu, Kingsley Chibueze Nwokocha, Dr. Uwaoma Ukandu, Dr. (Mrs) Queen Ijeoma Aghukwa, Ubochi Goodluck Chinedu, and Professor Ogbonnaya Uche.