A’Ibom Gets 7th Head of Civil Service

By Bassey Nkponam

UYO

Governor Umo Eno, has sworn in Mrs. Elsie Anietie Peters as the seventh State Head Of Civil Service and the fourth female to be appointed into the office.

Until her appointment, Peters, an indigene of Ikot Akpandem in Eket Local Government Area, served as permanent secretary, Special Services Department, Governor’s Office, where she oversaw sensitive security operations, coordinated intelligence reports and represented the state at crucial federal security meetings.

A distinguished career civil servant, she has served the state for more than two decades, rising through the ranks with a record of excellence, diligence and discipline.

Peters brings to the role an impressive blend of administrative experience, security intelligence expertise and proven leadership within the civil service.

She holds multiple advanced degrees, including a Master of Science in Public Order and Information Management, a Master’s in Public Administration and a Postgraduate Diploma in Sociology and Anthropology.

Administering the oath of office and that of allegiance on Peters, during the swearing in ceremony which took place at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo, last Tuesday, Eno charged her to be loyal and committed in the interpretation  of his administration’s vision- the ARISE Agenda.

He urged her to work collaboratively with civil servants, providing training and retraining opportunities for the state workforce with a view to enhancing professionalism and exposing them to opportunities that will enhance their skills and keep them updated with the latest trends in the civil service.

Eno said the civil service was critical to the success of the ARISE Agenda, hence the need to be well positioned to deliver on its responsibilities.

“The civil service is the critical piece of our ARISE Agenda and it is my hope and belief that, under the leadership of the new Head of Service, we will continue to work together, grow together and serve our dear state with faithfulness, dedication and with unbridled passion.”

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the improvement of worker’s welfare in the state as demonstrated through regular payment of gratuities, saying his administration has cleared backlog of over N75 billion, out of the N110 billion  inherited from the previous administrations in the state.

“When we came into office, we met owed gratuity backlog of N110 billion, spanning the years 2012 to May 29, 2023. Today, we have paid over N75.2 billion of the inherited backlog in just two and a half years.

“This month, I released another N1.3 billion and we have cleared backlog from 2012 to March 2021. These are records available to us from the office of the Accountant General. So, we have two more years, 2022/2023. We will get into our own time and I am sure steadily, we will clear up what we met on the ground.”

He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the provision of funds to the state to take care of its capital and current expenditures.

Eno charged all appointees as well as civil servants to remain loyal and committed to his administration and be productive in services for the betterment of the state.

He warned that any form of disloyalty will not be treated with kid’s glove, saying, “my appointees are called aides to the Governor. They are expected to work closely with the Governor.”

Eno maintained that faithfulness, which is also loyalty, was not optional but a requirement as God desires faithfulness more than talent and does not look for the most gifted, educated, charismatic or most visible.

According to him, faithfulness and loyalty should be sacrosanct and non-negotiable, noting that  the standard is a universal one and not only obtained in or reinvented in Akwa Ibom.

The Governor said those who were not willing and ready to be loyal were free to leave.

He congratulated Peters for being the seventh Head of the State civil service and the fourth woman to occupy the exalted office, expressing hope that with her background and experience, she will deliver.

“She is a perfect example of our gender-friendly disposition, adding to the number of women who today are holding positions of great responsibility and influence in our state and across the nation. Her appointment, therefore, reflect the gender-friendly disposition of this administration,” he said.

He appreciated the immediate past Head Of the Civil Service, Elder Effiong Essien, for the great contributions he made in aligning the civil service with the governance philosophy, the ARISE Agenda, and for being the vanguard of interpreting his administration’s vision to have a  professional and ICT enabling civil service.”

Fielding questions from the Government House correspondents shortly after her swearing-in, Peters thanked God and Eno for the privilege to serve as the new Head of Civil service  and assured that she will take the state civil service to an enviable dimension as obtained in civilised climes.

She charged civil servants to get ready to rise up efficiently and effectively in support of the vision and leadership of the Governor for the overall good of the state and its people.