Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has restated his administration’s commitment to building a civil service anchored strictly on merit, competence, and professionalism.
The governor made the declaration on Monday while receiving the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, who led a delegation of federal commissioners and state civil service chairmen to his office in Umuahia.
Otti said his administration has deliberately dismantled the long-standing culture of favoritism and quota-based recruitment, stressing that only competence determines entry and progression within the state’s civil service.
“We are interested in merit, not quota system or state of origin,” Otti said. “People now understand that what will promote them is hard work and excellence, not who they know. Quota system doesn’t work here.”
Citing the recent recruitment of 5,394 teachers, the governor disclosed that many successful applicants were from other states, including Cross River and Akwa Ibom.
“What matters to us is not where they come from, but the quality they bring. The civil service we are building will be service- and competence-driven,” he said.
Reforming a Decayed System
Otti said his administration is working to correct long-standing structural failures in the state’s public service. He noted that pensions were neglected for years before his government intervened.
According to him, a committee set up to audit outstanding gratuities discovered that the state owes pensioners over ₦60.1 billion, dating back to 2001.
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“These are people who worked and retired. Some have died waiting. Maybe if they got their money, they would still be alive today,” the governor lamented, assuring that his administration is committed to resolving the backlog.
Abia Selected as Pilot State for National Civil Service Reform
Earlier, the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Olaopa, commended Otti for what he described as “results-driven leadership that speaks for itself.”
He announced that Abia has been selected as the first pilot state for the National Strategic Plan aimed at modernising public service processes and revolutionising career management in the country.
“We are enlisting partners among state commissions, and Abia happens to be the first on the list of pilots. I am proud of Governor Otti’s achievements—and he is doing it quietly, without noise,” Olaopa said.
Top Officials Present
Notable officials present at the meeting included the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu; Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba; Commissioner for Finance, Uwaoma Ukandu; Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu; Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi; and Chairperson of the Abia State Civil Service Commission, Pastor Eno Jerry-Eze.
The details were contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha.
