A group of professionals from Benue State has lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing a retired Permanent Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, as the new Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

They praised the president for not allowing political differences with Governor Samuel Ortom stand in way of appointing a Benue son head of the tertiary education agency.

The body of professionals spoke under the auspices of Benue Patriots, in a statement signed by coordinator, Hon. Samuel Obande, a former member of the House of Representatives.

“Architect Echono’s appointment raises hope for a Nigeria where merit counts. 

“It has shown that Mr. President is very interested in appointing competent hands; that he takes notice of hard work, dedication, and integrity, virtues which Architect Echono exhibited during his civil service career.

“We have little doubt that having last served as Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Arc. Echono is very conversant with the challenges facing our tertiary education system. We expect him to bring his wealth of experience to bear on the agency,” noted Benue Patriots.

The group urged serving civil servants to emulate the new TETFund Boss in the discharge of their duties, noting that the retired Permanent Secretary got to the top of his civil service career by dint of hard work and dedication, without aligning himself with politicians.

“We all saw how Arc. Echono rose to the top of the civil service career. Without lobbying, he was offered the opportunity to extend his tenure as Permanent Secretary, but he politely refused, insisting to play by the rules. Apparently, this was one of the qualities that earned him this appointment,” noted the group, wishing Echono a successful tenure.