Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia has inaugurated Abia College of Health Technology Governing Council and the boards of the Local Government and Civil Service Commissions.
Speaking during the occasion in Umuahia on Monday, Ikpeazu said that the greatest challenge of the government was to mainstream the welfare of its workers in the area of capacity building.
The governor said that the state government was committed to improving the wellbeing of its workforce in order to achieve increased productivity.
He said that the Abia government had paid 12 months’ salary arrears owed to workers of Abia College of Health Technology and provided a matching grant to enable them move to their permanent site.
Ikpeazu said that the new governing council of the college would meet a highly motivated workforce and urged the council to expedite action in ensuring that most programs in the school would gain accreditation.
The governor said that current trends had made it expedient for the institution to become either a medical university or university of health sciences to meet the high demand for institutions that offered medicine and paramedical courses.
According to him, Abia College of Health Technology had the capacity to become a university that would provide a platform for people to study medicine and paramedical courses.
Ikpeazu urged the members of the newly inaugurated boards of local government and civil service commissions to evolve strategies that would eradicate ghost worker syndrome and promote the development agenda of the Abia government.
“We must do everything to flush out ghost workers and ensure that we pay only those who are working.
“There is an ongoing verification at the local government that has saved government close to N100 million.
“A few months ago, we had a funny incidence of people recruiting people at the local government without authorization.
“I do not want this particular local government service commission to get involved; also I expect the current civil service commission to be responsible and promote sanity in the system,’’ he said.
Responding, Chief Eme Okoro, the Chairman of Abia College of Health Technology governing council, thanked the state government for the opportunity to serve the people of Abia.
Okoro said that he was confident that the members of the newly inaugurated boards and governing council would live up to expectations.
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The members of the governing council include Mr. Okechukwu Nweje, Mr. Charles Osondu, Mr. Rowland Nwosu, Eze O.J. Anaba, Mr. Randy Ukawoke, and Mrs. Felicia Ugboaja.
The members of the Civil Service Commission include Mrs. Elizabeth Esochaghi (Chairman), Mr. Emmanuel Kanu, Mr. Prince Onuoha, Mr. Eze Ndukauba, and Mrs. Joyce Adiele.
The members of the Local Government Service Commission include; Mr Victor Azumara (Chairman), Mr Ben Nwogu, Mr Ako Atuloma, Mrs Rita Okengwu , Priscilla Umeham, Mr Eugene Dike and Chukwuemeka Mba.(NAN)
