Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that Permanent Secretaries who compromised civil service standards during the six-month emergency rule in the state will be held accountable.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of a new Permanent Secretary, Austin Ezekiel-Hart, on Friday at the Government House in Port Harcourt, Fubara said his administration will no longer tolerate actions that undermine due process and integrity in governance.
The governor recalled that some senior officials failed in their duty to protect the values of the civil service, instead lending support to irregularities during the emergency period. He warned that their actions have been documented and would be addressed at the right time.
“For every one of you, the Permanent Secretaries who were involved in illegality, your punishment will come. Just be prepared. The records are there, and I’ll bring them up one after the other against you,” Fubara said.
He noted that Ezekiel-Hart was elevated because of his professionalism, resilience, and refusal to compromise, describing him as a civil servant who stood his ground despite pressures.
The governor stressed that civil servants must remain committed to truth, fairness, and due process above political or personal interests, assuring that his administration would never pressure them to act outside the law.
Fubara reaffirmed that the civil service must continue to be the backbone of governance, urging officials to remain steadfast and uphold the highest standards of accountability.
