By Udo Akam-Alo, ABAKALIKI
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has said that the Offor Okorie can do better in other areas than to remain the Chief of Staff, likewise other government officials who have been redeployed.
The Governor spoke during the swearing in ceremony of the the Acting Chief Of Staff, Mrs. Queen Agwu in Abakaliki, saying the former CoS is good but could not measure up to what the society deserves in governance.
Considering the relevance of ICT worldwide, Governor Umahi declared that only ICT compliant persons will be allowed to handle official duties henceforth.
His words, “The former Chief Of Staff is a very good man, very honest man – better than Queen Agwu and myself but the society is not looking for good people.
“The society is looking for hard people and she is hard enough to handle that department. You know, when you are nice, people take advantage of you.
“When the former AG, Queen Agwu was removed, people thought she committed offence and I made it clear that she committed no offence but our figures were no more tallying to my satisfaction, maybe because I am not a financial person. And now she is given Chief of Staff, why, because we are differently destined and where a man cannot perform excellently best in one area, the person can do best in another area.
“Let me say that the requirements of this grant is quite enormous and it’s total ICT age. Just like, if you ask me to work in the area of electrical engineering as I’m working in mechanical engineering, I will fumble in the electrical engineering because I do not know it and I have no passion for it. Not because it is not important but because I should not know everything.
“The same way, some of those I have reassigned may not have been excellent in ICT just like I’m not even good in ICT not to talk of being excellent.
“We need excellent people to man the office of AG and the office of Commissioner for Finance and that is what we have done now and we have requested for training from the world bank and the MDAs and they have accepted that they will send people to come and train us.
“From today, any accountant that is not ICT compliant, must cease to work from the MDA. They should be reassigned to the office of the Governor and that will afford them the opportunity to go and learn ICT. I cannot function without ICT.”
He enjoined the new Chief Of Staff to make judicious use of her new position for the good and benefit of the state government, noting that any he will not tolerate any form of idleness from any state official
“I implore you to save money for us, I implore you to take proper care of the payments, to take care of our new and old government house, I implore you to deploy workers to Agricultural sector in the old government house and the new government house. I don’t want to see anybody that is idling as a worker in that your department.
“I’m going to task everybody to sit up to his or her duty or be removed. It is a time for everybody to sit up.” The Governor reiterated.
