Two Months To Handover, Dickson Appoints Commissioner, 35 Perm Secs

Two months to his exit from office, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has inaugurated a new commissioner, Mr. Felix Sam-Ateki and 35 new permanent secretaries.

Inaugurating them in Yenagoa on Friday, the governor urged them to work with the incoming administration to ensure full implementation of the civil service reforms.

Governor Dickson who gave the charge on Friday during the swearing-in ceremony in Yenagoa, said his administration would soon receive the formal report of the reforms which he said would be one of the key documents to be handed over to the next government.

While congratulating the new permanent secretaries on their appointment, Governor Dickson called on them to avoid partisan politics and focus on the execution of policies and programmes of government.

“As you go to your various Ministries, Departments and Agencies to ensure the public/civil service is programmed and made ready to work and support policies and programmes of the next administration, you are not to dabble into the political squabbles of the day.

“You are not to be part of the dust of political conflicts I charge you all to maintain neutrality and focus on the execution of the policies and programmes of government.

“I urge you all and the entire civil service to brace up to execute the policies of the government of the day loyally and as ably as you can.”

He noted that sectors such as the Post Primary Schools Board and Sports Council would now have permanent secretaries so as to enhance professionalism in those areas.

Governor Dickson  also noted that in line with his administration’s respect for hierarchy in the civil service, Mrs Biobelemoye Charles-Onyeama, the  most senior civil servant in the state,  would be sworn in next week after the completion of her training at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS.

The Governor attributed the high number of permanent secretaries being sworn in to the long delay in their appointment, noting that over 25 of them are level 17 officers.

“If you do an analysis of these appointees, you will discover that almost 25 of them are level 17 officers, which means they have been on that level for quite some time, doing the work of acting permanent secretary and heading directorates for quite some time.

“These appointments are merely made on our step criteria which is seniority in service. So almost 80 percent are them appointed based on seniority while very few are appointed on meritorious service.

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