Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has cautioned permanent secretaries who fell short of the standards of the civil service during the period of emergency rule in the state, warning that they would be held accountable for their actions.
The governor gave the warning at the swearing-in of Austin Ezekiel-Hart as a permanent secretary at the Executive Chambers of Government House in Port Harcourt.
Governor Fubara explained that Ezekiel-Hart’s elevation was strictly on merit, following his professionalism in the state civil service.
He stressed that at no time had he instructed any permanent secretary to sidestep due process, urging the new appointee to uphold the values and principles that earned him the promotion.
The governor further challenged Ezekiel-Hart to speak out with proof if ever pressured to act in violation of civil service rules, assuring that his administration would be defined more by actions than rhetoric.
The ceremony was attended by Permanent Secretaries, the State Head of Service and eight commissioners who were retained after the recent dissolution of the State Executive Council following the Supreme Court judgment that affected several appointees.
