Delta Gets Second Female Head of Service in 34 Years

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has assured Deltans and other residents of the state of his administration’s commitment to sustaining a safe and secure Delta State.

Governor Oborevwori gave the assurance on Thursday while swearing-in Dr. Mrs Minnie Oseji as the State Head of Service, and inaugurating Pastor Austin Igbine as Chairman of the Board of Delta Printing and Publishing Company, Publishers of The Pointer newspaper, at Government House, Asaba.

He said security agencies in the state were making progress in the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes through pre-emptive strikes and other combat operations

While  acknowledging that the challenges were enormous, but surmountable, he said the security agencies had been up -and- doing to ensure the security and safety of Deltans and other residents of the state.

The Governor said as the Chief Security Officer of the state, he was aware of the several successes the security agencies had recorded – and kept making – in the fight against crimes, even as he noted that it would be counter-productive to avail the public of the measures the security agencies had put in place to reduce violent crimes to the barest minimum.

He stated that government had continued to strengthen partnership with the security outfits by providing them with the necessary tools and resources needed to be effective in their operations, urging the people to play their part for enhanced peace and security in the state.

The Governor emphasized the need for cooperation with, and support for the security agencies by promptly reporting any suspicious activity or persons to the relevant authorities, as the success of law enforcement personnel was largely dependent on information they received from the public.

While congratulating the new Head of Service, Dr. Mrs Minnie Oseji, Governor Oborevwori lauded her predecessor, Mr. Reginald Bayoko, for his outstanding contributions to strengthening the state’s public service.

He described Dr Oseji as a quintessential civil servant, polite, dedicated, brilliant, and thorough, adding that she looked good to bring to her new office decades of exceptional stewardship, exemplary leadership, and undiluted passion for excellence.

Governor Oborevwori charged the new Head of Service to continually re-orientate the workers to tackle the perennial problems of absenteeism, lateness, unethical conduct, sharp practices, and poor maintenance culture.

The Governor stressed that his administration was determined to leave the legacy of an efficient, disciplined, and performance-driven civil service, adding that he was proud of the progress the State Civil Service had made so far, even as some challenges remained.

He charged civil servants to keep abreast of the policy direction of the government, offer honest, impartial, and practical advice, and provide all the relevant information required for the successful execution of programmes and projects of the present administration.

Oborevwori noted that the rank -and- file of the civil service were filled with qualified, intelligent people but, unfortunately, the problems of attitude and orientation remained worrisome, insisting that government workers must prioritize public above personal interest.

While congratulating Pastor Austin Igbine on his appointment, Governor Oborevwori urged him to consolidate the achievements of his predecessor.

He said it was expected that “The Pointer” would attain new heights in editorial quality, production excellence, improved advertising and marketing, bigger circulation, as well as enhanced digital operations under Igbine’s leadership and direction.

Responding, the new Head of Service, Mrs Oseji thanked the Governor for trusting her with the huge responsibility of ensuring integrity, professionalism and service excellence in the state’s civil service.

She pledged to reorient the entire civil service on financial regulations and to key into the MORE Agenda of the Governor, assuring that no one would be left behind in the process of repositioning the civil service.

Dr. Mrs Minnie Oseji is the second Delta State Head of Service, the first being Mrs Grace Ekpirhwre, who was in the saddle from 2002 to 2007.