Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River on Tuesday reiterated his commitment to restoring the state’s civil service to its pride of place through an enduring legacy.

Mr Otu made the remark in Calabar during the inauguration of Orok Okon as the state’s new head of civil service (HoS).

He assured of his administration’s commitment to continue offsetting the outstanding gratuities of retirees of the state civil service.

The governor described the civil service as the structure for implementing government policies and recalled the years between 2010 and 2013, when eight states visited Cross River to understudy its operational efficiency.

Mr Otu, however, decried the decline that followed later but assured that his administration was committed to restoring the lost glory of the service.

He charged the new HoS to entrench professionalism, fairness, and competence across the workforce, stressing the importance of proper record-keeping, digitisation, and continuous staff training.

“My administration will continue to prioritise workers’ welfare; monthly salary payment remains sacrosanct, and promotions are being implemented as and when due.

“The yearly incremental step has been restored after eleven years, and, very importantly, we have put plans in place to continue defraying outstanding retirees’ gratuities,” Mr Otu said.

In his response, Mr Okon promised to brief the State Executive Council on details of his reform agenda for the civil service and pledged close collaboration with permanent secretaries and directors.

He noted that, although there were few challenges, the service was still largely filled with diligent and hardworking officers who would be supported and rewarded.

In the same vein, the governor approved the appointment of Fidelia Ene as chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

He urged her to bring her expertise to bear in improving the state’s basic education.

(NAN)