Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has declared that merit, competence and integrity will remain the guiding principles for appointments and recruitment into the state public service.
Governor Otti said his administration had ended the era where jobs and appointments were influenced by personal connections, stressing that only qualified and competent individuals would be considered.
The governor made the declaration during the Abia State Leadership Academy Executive Leadership Series for political appointees and senior public servants at the Michael Okpara Auditorium in Umuahia.
The event, themed “Strengthening Government Ethical Leadership and Public Service Delivery,” formed part of activities marking Abia State’s 35th anniversary.
Otti cited admissions into Abia State University, particularly Medicine and Law, the recruitment of 5,394 teachers and the ongoing issuance of appointment letters to another 4,074 teachers as examples of competitive processes introduced by his administration.
He also noted that the appointment of Permanent Secretaries had been made competitive since 2023.
The governor said the Leadership Academy and executive education programmes were designed to develop strong institutions and prepare a new generation of leaders capable of sustaining the state’s progress beyond the current administration.
Drawing from his interaction with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Otti stressed that effective leaders must deliberately build people and institutions that can outlive and even surpass them.
He further disclosed that his administration had established a 25-year development plan for Abia State, which has been backed by legislation to ensure continuity across successive administrations.
According to him, the plan cannot be discarded by future governments except through the legislative process.
Otti also announced plans to establish the Abia State Bureau of Statistics to strengthen data collection and availability for effective planning and budgeting.
He emphasised that accurate data, proper planning and effective supervision remain essential to achieving sustainable development and improving public service delivery in the state.
