Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has warned civil servants against partisan politics ahead of the December 5 governorship election in the state.He gave the warning at the weekend in Government House, Yenagoa, while inaugurating a newly appointed Head of Service of the State, Dr. Peter Singabele, and member of the state Civil Service Commission, Dr. Boumkuma Kpokiri.
Dickson said civil servants must uphold the principles of neutrality and loyalty to government in power.
He charged the newly appointed head of service to further depoliticize and instill more discipline in the state civil service to achieve improved service delivery.
He warned that engaging in politics was against the ethics of professional civil service and negatively impact on efficiency and effectiveness in the public service.
Describing the public service as the most important sector in service delivery in a government, the governor said he would not allow political considerations to determine the occupant of head of the state civil service office.
Dickson said: “For the past one year, no state government can boast of any effective construction work because we are in a state of recession.
“But despite of all that, we are not owing salaries of members of the public service in this state.
“We do not also owe their pension entitlements. The only thing that is left for us to handle is the gratuity that has accumulated for the past ten years, which is not a creation of this government. But we are determined to finding a solution to address it”.
He also paid glowing tribute to the out gone Head of Service, Dr. Josephine Igodo, for her efforts in fostering cordial relationship between the government and the workforce.
He promised to organise a state banquet in her honour at an appropriate date to fulfill the tradition already set by the present administration.
Dickson urged Singabele and Kpokiri, who replaces late Sir Patrick Tekenah, to apply their wealth of experiences in performing their duties.
Addressing them, he said: “You are appointed to lead the public service, which is the most important group as far as service delivery is concerned. It is our expectation that you are going to depoliticise the civil service.
“We don’t want to play politics with the civil service. When we came on board, I promised a civil service that would not be politicised.
“And that is exactly what we are doing. The permanent secretaries that have been appointed know that none of them lobbied.
“There was no political influence or interference whatsoever. It was strictly in accordance with our judgment in terms of merit, hard work and capacity for improved service delivery.
“And that is the civil service that we want to leave behind for succeeding generations of this state”.
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