Imo Govt Shops For Fresh Perm Secs, Plans Reduction of Ministries -

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By Okey Alozie

Governor Hope Uzodinma is said to have finally resolved to shop for substantive Permanent Secretaries that will stand as administrative Head of the State Ministries after a long while of using Directors to cover duties of Permanent Secretaries that have retired from the system.

Report has it that it is only 5 substantive Permanent Secretaries that are left in the Imo Civil Service. Thirty Directors are drafted to fill in the gaps and cover duties in the various offices where there is no substantive Permanent Secretary.

Our roving reporter who visited the State Secretariat complex Owerri located along Owerri Port-Harcourt road, observed that the dissolution of the State Cabinet and Subsequent Hand over of duties of Commissioners to Permanent Secretaries has shown that those who claim to be covering duties of Permanent Secretaries are not competent to do the job effectively as the system required.

Absence of the Commissioners exposed the lapses of the incompetent Directors who are said to be covering duties of Permanent Secretaries as we gathered from a reliable sources. Experts have called on the Governor of Imo State Dist Senator Hope Uzodinma to consider it necessary as a matter of urgency to employ competent people as substantive Permanent Secretaries that will fill in the gaps created by Permanent Secretary of Ministries who retired last year from the State Civil Service.

The Governor was advised to subject all the present Directors to a compulsory Examination that will be organized by a recognized Professional Firm and that Examination will be expected to produce the right Materials that will fill in for the Permanent Secretary jobs.

Further information revealed that in order to cut cost of Labour, the Government will embark on downsizing of the Labour force.

In this process, the State Government will merge some Ministries and it is most likely that the Ministries will be reduced from 35 to 16 and this will also bring down the number of those working in offices.