Top Imo civil servants mainly (Deputy Directors and Permanent Secretaries) have cried out against the last minute injustices meted out to them in terms of lopsided promotion, postings and deployment by former Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
They have therefore appealed to His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Chief Emeka Ihedioha, to address the injustices meted to them without following due process and the civil service rules of engagement.
In a statement issued in Owerri, made available to the press, the aggrieved observed that Okorocha turned the Permanent Secretary Cadre level to a training ground for his perceived loyalists, who were promoted and posted at will without due process, ignoring service rules and regulations.
They explained that the former Governor had at some occasions circumvented the rules and guidelines and went ahead to appoint officers on grade level 14 and 15 as permanent secretaries, sidelining their seniors who are on substantive directors on grade level 16.
The cited names like Ken Obioha, Perpetua Anyanwu and Angela Iheanacho (Nee Irechukwu), who had reached the rank of substantive director since 2015, but who now are meant to serve their junior officers, adding that, this has eroded the services, and needs to be rectified.
The group enumerated six other aspects of mal-administration that need urgent correction by the present administration of Chief Ihedioha in order to achieve optimum and effective results in the service.
They noted that Rochas Okorocha selection of Permanent Secretaries and Accountants General were not even done according to the local governments, while over-aged Permanent Secretaries had their tenure elongated especially three of them from Orlu and Ideato areas to the disadvantage and at the expense of other local governments.
They recalled that majority of these Permanent Secretaries were appointed after the declaration of Chief Emeka Ihedioha as Governor of Imo State and even two days to the inauguration of the new Governor without recourse to the rules guiding the selection and without even appearing and competing with their colleagues.
They then referred the Governor to the federal government circular that approved a four (4) year tenure for Permanent Secretaries, which they alleged that the Head of Service did not allow to see the light of day in Imo state, requesting that the document as some officers like Mr Aharanwa, Rosemary Izuogu and Eugene Asozu, who have passed retirement age, should be made to leave the service without further delay.
The senior officers pledged that justice should be done on their behalf.
