Abia State commissioner for Lands and Housing, Chaka Chukwumereije, has challenged the staff members to create a legacy they will be remembered for after retirement.
Chukwumereije handed the charge at a send-off party for three retiring directors and six senior ministry officers in Umuahia, the state capital.
He urged them to embrace the transformation agenda of the Governor Alex Otti-led administration, which aims to change the state’s narrative and improve service delivery.
He expressed delight that the days when the thought of retirement created fears in civil servants’ minds because of the lack of payment of their pension are gone in the state.
“To you, who we’re celebrating your exit, I charge you to be good ambassadors of the ministry. I appeal to you to keep your doors open whenever we seek your advice,” he said.
Speaking earlier, the ministry’s permanent secretary, Ukeje Ukpabi, stressed that civil servants must learn to plan for their retirement from their first day in office.
Ukpabi noted that by doing so, they will prepare themselves for the days ahead and learn to chart a new course for themselves “for the beginning of a new phase in their lives.”
He lauded the retirees for their separate and collective contributions to the ministry’s ongoing transformation, noting that their impacts will remain indelible in the ministry’s records.
Responding on behalf of the other directors, including Chinanu Nkume and Augustine Uche-Ibe, the former surveyor general of the state, Kelechi Mbaraonye, appreciated the ministry for the honour.
He assured that they were ready to offer their services to the ministry in line with the new narrative in the state, mentor the junior ones, and hold their heads high for serving meritoriously.
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