The deputy governor of Edo state, Rt. Hon Dennis Idahosa, says the appointment of Permanent Secretaries (PS) in the state civil service will now be strictly based on merit and no longer imposition.

Idahosa made the declaration when he presided over a convoked and expanded breakfast meeting of the Head of Service with Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) at the New Festival Hall, Edo State Government House.

According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Friday Aghedo, the deputy governor, further noted that the era of appointing non-career civil servants as PS is over.

He said that the Sen. Monday Okpebholo led administration is here to allow the state civil service to be run purely by professionals.

Idahosa explained that discontinuing the appointment of non-career PS, as well as merit based appointments of PS, would allow for smooth career progression and also boost the morale of the civil servants.

“There was a time Consultants were used as permanent secretaries in the state. Governor Monday Okpebholo changed this narrative, and, many civil servants have been elevated to positions of permanent secretaries,” he stated.

Idahosa assured them of job progression, pointing out that the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo was on ground to right perceived wrongs of previous administrations.

Idahosa pointed out that the SHINE Agenda of the governor cannot succeed without the impute and impact of civil servants.

He stated that the breakfast meeting provided an opportunity for direct communication between the political leadership and the civil servants in the state to build synergy on how to make the workforce a better place.

Idahosa said, “We are all gathered to discuss the importance of collaboration and synergy between the political executive and the civil service machinery for effective service delivery in Edo State.

“This expanded breakfast meeting is a testament to our shared commitment to harness our collective strengths and expertise to deliver impactful results.”

Going further, he stated, “The interface between the political executives and the civil service is critical to achieving our goals.

“While the political class provides the will, vision, and direction, the civil service provides the institutional memory, strength, expertise, and implementation capacity.

“Let us leverage each other’s strengths, experiences, and skills to drive progress and prosperity in Edo State. Let us work together to identify and address bottlenecks, streamline processes, and enhance productivity.”

He assured them of government’s necessary support and the enabling environment for them to excel.

On his part, the state’s Head of Service, Dr. Anthony Okungbowa thanked Governor Monday Okpebholo for his continuous support to the state’s civil service.

He said the meeting provided an avenue for dialogue and an opportunity to identify strengths and weaknesses of both sides.

Okungbowa listed three administrative strategies the state civil service is deploying to ensure effectiveness.

“Directorate of research and policy, channelled towards building a data and evidence based administration; Mentorship, meant to build a string of competent civil servants in an unbroken projection of authority to help manage the workforce, managing their roles effectively.

Lastly, “Success without a successor is a failure. We need intentional mentorship, which is role and rule enabled.”

He said that the service has introduced a number of awards to enhance the productivity of the workforce.