Edo State-Born Benson Ojeikere Sworn In As Abia State Head Of Service

The Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, has reassured Abians of his avowed commitment to upholding the principles of excellence and meritocracy over mediocrity in the governance of the state.

The Governor restated this on Monday. 13th January, 2025, during the swearing-in ceremony of the newly appointed Head of Service, Mr. Benson Ojeikere, who hails from Edo State.

Governor Otti congratulated the highly elated Ojeikere and enjoined him to justify his well deserved appointment by putting in his best in line with the vision and desire of his government to build a robust and efficient Civil Service that would be a reference point in Nigeria and beyond.

Earlier in his acceptance speech, the newly appointed Head of Service, Mr. Benson Ojeikere, thanked the Governor for the rare and unusual opportunity offered him to serve as the State Head of Service, and promised to justify the confidence and trust reposed in him by aligning with the government and working harder than ever to ensure the repositioning of the State Civil Service and making it a model which other States, from within and outside Nigeria would want to come and learn from.

Mr. Ojeikere who disclosed that he was still in shock over his appointment, narrated that, even though he set a standard of excellence for himself while joining the Abia Civil Service in 1999 and worked very hard every day, he never believed it was possible to go beyond the rank of a Senior Director in the Civil Service of the state, let alone, a Permanent Secretary, and now, the Head of Service, and thanked Governor Alex Otti for allowing himself to be used by God to do what no person would have imagined was possible in any state Civil Service in Nigeria.

Mr. Ojeikere, a Youth Corps Member from Edo State, was posted to Abia State in 1999, where he served and emerged as the best Corps member, and subsequently got an automatic employment in the State Civil Service.

In 2023, Governor Alex Otti appointed him a Permanent Secretary, following his emergence as one of the best in the selection process, and was posted to Government House, where he served as Permanent Secretary, until his appointment as Head of Service by Governor Otti.