By Vincent Ujumadu
THE Head of Service, HOS, of Anambra State, Chief Chidi Ezeoke said yesterday in Awka that Governor Peter Obi has rescued the state’s ageing civil service with the recent recruitment of 2500 workers into the system.

Ezeoke, who was addressing the newly recruited workers at the Jerome Udoji Secretariat, Awka said his joy knew no bounds because of what Governor Obi has done for the state civil service.

According to him, Obi has not only employed people massively, which was the first since the state was created, but has also provided them with the necessary tools to work with.

Describing the state civil service as born again, the HOS enjoined  the newly recruited workers  to observe all the rules  of service and bring honour to the service at all times.

Going down memory lane, Ezeoke recalled that before Obi became governor, civil servants in the state had no secretariat as they operated from different offices scattered round the state with unpaid arrears and gratuities running into billions of naira.

He said: “Obi has not only built a brand new secretariat for the state, but has also paid all the arrears of pensions and gratuities owed civil servants in the state. He  has also  conformed to global best practices by making Anambra civil servants partakers in contributory pension scheme for guaranteed future.

“Seeing all that Governor Obi did for the service, one is permitted to shed tears of joy. It was only in his government that permanent secretaries were bought brand new cars twice. He also bought brand new vehicles for all the directors in the service, state and local governments.”

In his remarks at the event, the governor charged the new civil servants to always have the interest of Anambra State at heart.

Recalling those who made Anambra proud and great in the past, he reminded them that they have the duty of sustaining that greatness by always embracing noble actions and playing by the rules.

Assuring them of job security, Obi told them amidst thunderous applause, that he had already  paid into the bank their salaries for the next 18 months.