Civil servants in Plateau State have been warned to avoid being used by politicians to sabotage the state’s programmes and projects.
Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong made this known on Tuesday in Jos at the Government House, while swearing-in 10 new permanent secretaries recently appointed by his administration.
The governor who congratulated the new appointees for attaining the pinnacle of the civil service, having gone through the requisite exams and vetting and found to be suitable for appointment into these exalted offices, challenged the appointees to put in extra effort to justify the promotion and also set a good example for the staff that they are expected to guide and direct.
He said that they must uphold the virtues of probity, accountability, honesty, fairness and justice, adding that the new permanent secretaries should consider the position as a huge challenge to show the stuff they are made of, and also demonstrate that indeed they earned the promotion.
He said, “May I sound a note of warning to the appointees that we shall not tolerate indiscipline, indolence, disloyalty and flagrant abuse of office. Any of you found to be involved in any act of sabotage will be shown the way out and subjected to all disciplinary procedures.
“This warning is important because we are in the peak of politicking where the temptation for disloyalty is high. Rather than get enmeshed in politics, you should concentrate on implementing government projects, programmes and policies that will enable us deliver our mandate to the people.
“That way, you will be writing your name in gold within the annals of achievements of the Rescue Administration as well as setting up yourselves for greater service to the state and nation in the future.
“This is not the time to think you have arrived and become lethargic, arrogant and power drunk. The civil service is a well-structured bureaucracy that follows a long tradition of rules, regulations and guidelines. At this point, you do not need to be schooled on the terms and conditions of the service.
“However, I must remind you that you are expected to work within the schedule of the service to avoid getting into trouble or putting the system in jeopardy,” he said.