Governor Alex Otti of Abia State officially swore in Benson Ojeikere as the new head of the state’s civil service on Monday.
A statement from the governor’s media aide, Ferdinand Ekeoma, released on Tuesday, revealed that Mr. Ojeikere hails from Edo State.
The statement further noted that after completing his university education, Mr. Ojeikere was posted to Abia State for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 1999.
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During his service, he was recognized as the best corps member, earning him automatic employment in the Abia State civil service.
In 2023, Governor Otti appointed Mr. Ojeikere as a permanent secretary following his outstanding performance in the selection process.
He was later assigned to serve at the Government House, where he continued his distinguished work until his recent appointment as the head of the civil service.
“Governor Otti congratulated the highly elated Ojeikere and enjoined him to justify his well-deserved appointment by putting in his best in line with the vision and desire of his government to build a robust and efficient civil service that would be a reference point in Nigeria and beyond,” Mr Ekeoma said in the statement.
Mr. Otti took the opportunity to reassure the people of Abia of his unwavering commitment to governing the state with a focus on excellence and meritocracy, rather than settling for mediocrity.
In the statement, Mr. Ojeikere expressed that he was “still in shock” over his recent appointment. He acknowledged the hard work he had put in since joining the Abia civil service, but never imagined he would rise beyond the rank of senior director, let alone become a permanent secretary.
Mr Ojeikere thanked Governor Otti for “allowing himself to be used by God to do what no person would have imagined was possible in any state civil service in Nigeria”.
He vowed to justify the confidence and trust placed in him by aligning with the government and working diligently to reposition the Abia civil service, transforming it into a model that other states, both within Nigeria and beyond, would aspire to replicate.
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