The Cross River State Ministry of Water Resources has emphasised the importance of discipline, integrity and effective service delivery as it organised an orientation exercise for its newly employed staff as part of measures to strengthen organisational effectiveness and improve performance in the public service.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Gabriel Ukwada, who represented the Commissioner for Water Resources at the exercise, said the orientation was designed to acquaint the new officers with the structure and operations of the Civil Service, as well as the rules, regulations, roles and responsibilities guiding their conduct as public servants, in line with the directives of the Head of Service.
Dr. Ukwada described the exercise as timely and important, noting that equipping the newly employed officers with the requisite knowledge of the Civil Service would enhance their understanding of their responsibilities and enable them to function effectively within the system.
He urged the participants to take the exercise seriously and regard their appointment into the Civil Service as an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the development of Cross River State.
The Permanent Secretary stressed that discipline, professionalism, integrity and punctuality were essential attributes of an effective public servant, noting that adherence to Civil Service rules remained critical to efficient service delivery.
He also encouraged the new staff to familiarise themselves with the mandate of the Ministry and understand how their individual responsibilities contribute to the achievement of its objectives and the broader development agenda of the State Government.
Also speaking, the Director of Administration, Mr. Williams Agba, highlighted the importance of the orientation in helping the newly employed officers understand the Ministry’s administrative structure, procedures and operational framework.
Agba urged the officers to acquaint themselves with the policies and regulations governing their conduct and responsibilities, while stressing the importance of continuous learning, teamwork and effective communication in achieving organisational goals.
He further charged the new staff to maintain professionalism in their dealings with colleagues, superior officers and members of the public, emphasising that their conduct would influence the quality of service delivered by the Ministry.
Other Directors in the Ministry also took turns to address the participants on the functions and responsibilities of their respective departments, providing insights into departmental operations, career development, staff conduct, record keeping, reporting procedures and effective service delivery.
The speakers collectively urged the newly employed staff to demonstrate commitment to duty and uphold the principles of accountability, transparency and integrity in the discharge of their responsibilities.
They noted that beyond acquiring technical knowledge, the officers were expected to imbibe the values and ethical standards of the Civil Service, which are essential to building a responsive, efficient and professional public service.
By Jeno Richard Odu
