COMMENTARY:  Otu, Eteng, Re-Engineering Cross River Civil Service For Efficient Service Delivery

By Isaac Aqua
Guest Columnist 

For many years, the Cross River Civil Service, once regarded as a disciplined and orderly institution, gradually lost its shine.

 Promotions were stalled, and those who succeeded in gaining promotions paraded their letters for years without implementation. Morale weakened, and glaring lapses crept in.

Elevation to the prestigious cadre of permanent secretary, once guided by merit, competence, academic acumen, and a sacred hierarchy of progression, became infested with mediocrity and primordial sentiments that undermined standards and values.

Official documents were sometimes carelessly left in business centres. Junior officers were elevated over their seniors, and ethical principles that had guided the service for decades began to fade. 

The result was a workforce that had lost confidence in the system and a system that had lost the trust of its people.

Today, Governor Bassey Otu and the Head of Service, Obol Dr. Innocent Eteng, are steering a deliberate and determined course to restore that lost glory.

 Under the theme “Re-engineering the Cross River State Civil Service for Efficient Service Delivery,” a wave of reforms is reshaping the state workforce into one that values fairness, discipline, and professional excellence.

A major step in this renewal is the introduction of merit-driven awards and promotions designed to inspire the rank and file.

 As part of the 2025 Civil Service Day celebrations, 52 dedicated officers will be honoured with the prestigious Award of Excellence.

 This recognition comes with certificates, medals, and, in many cases, automatic promotions.

 Speaking at the Cross River State Broadcasting Corporation Conference Hall, Eteng explained that this recognition will be purely on merit, with no room for ethnic, tribal, or religious considerations. 

He assured that staff who have worked with exceptional dedication will have their efforts rewarded, a commitment that has already begun to rekindle hope within the service.

Governor Otu has also approved significant amendments to the state’s public service rules to streamline career progression and inject a sense of fairness into the system.

 Directors will now serve between two and three years before they are eligible for elevation to permanent secretary, and once appointed, they will retire after five years in office.

 Eteng describes this as a deliberate move to promote seamless ascendency ,professionalism, and equity, aligning the state service with modern and innovative trends already in place at the federal level.

The innovative reforms reshaping the service are a testament to the humane posture of Governor Otu in changing the pathetic narrative of civil servants. 

The vocational training for retiring officers and subsequent empowerment grants of N500,000 lend credence to this people-focused approach.

The template for these sweeping changes, orchestrated under the watch of Obol Innocent Eteng, points to administrative sagacity, pragmatic leadership acumen, and visionary concepts that go beyond surface-level adjustments.

The reforms do not stop with senior staff. For years, many casual workers in ministries, departments, and agencies laboured without certainty about their future.

 These workers, often brought in to fill gaps left by mass retirements, had little assurance of job security despite their contributions. 

Now, the governor has given his consent for such casual staff who have proven their worth to be absorbed into the service on merit. Agencies such as the Cross River Broadcasting Corporation and the State Newspaper Corporation have already been instructed to compile and forward the names of those deserving regularisation.

One of the most transformative policies being implemented is a payment template that ensures retirees receive their gratuities and pensions within two months of leaving service.

 This is a striking departure from the past, when many retirees were left to languish for years without their entitlements. 

Eteng believes this will return the state to its former reputation for efficiency and welfare consciousness, recalling the era of Donald Duke when salary and benefit payments were considered untouchable commitments.

The Head of Service is candid about the state of affairs inherited from the past administration.
 He speaks of deep systematic decay, a disregard for ethical norms, disorganised record-keeping, and politically motivated promotions that undermined professionalism.

 Under the current reforms, merit is being restored as the cornerstone of the Cross River Civil Service, ensuring that hard work and dedication are recognised and rewarded.

The Civil Service Day will not only serve as a moment to celebrate achievement but also as a public statement of the administration’s commitment to service excellence.

 The programme will feature a solidarity walk through the city of Calabar, an award ceremony at U.J. Esuene Stadium, a keynote address from the Secretary to the State Government, a public lecture, and an inspiring session led by Reverend Father Bob Etta.

For the 52 honourees, this celebration will be a defining moment in their careers. For the wider service, it will stand as proof that Cross River is once again committed to a disciplined, productive, and professional workforce.

 As Eteng affirms, the goal is to inspire every officer to give their best, confident in the knowledge that merit will always be recognised and rewarded in the state’s civil service.