Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has charged the newly sworn-in commissioners, special advisers and senior special assistants to bring to the fore, their wealth of experience to drive the shared vision of prosperity of his administration which is anchored on the 3Rs of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Recovery.

Speaking at the swearing-in of commissioners and other appointees of his administration on Wednesday at the Ahiajoku International Convention Centre, Governor Uzodimma called on the appointees to see their appointments as a privilege that they cannot dare to abuse.

He said: “It is important that you don’t take the oath of office as a mere ritual, you must take every word there seriously. You owe it a duty to Imo people and God to ensure that you don’t fail in your assignment. You are now a magnifying glass with which the public will see our government.”

He warned that he will not hesitate to sack any appointee who indulges in actions that will smear the image of the government in any form or shape.

Uzodimma added, “Your actions and inactions going forward from today matters a lot, all those things you have done in the past that does not matter before, matters now. You must watch what you say or do as a government representative. Any action that is capable of bringing government to ridicule will be unacceptable to us.”

While encouraging the commissioners and other Appointees to justify the confidence reposed in them, the governor expressed confidence that coming back from the 3 days retreat, they must have been equipped with new and modern innovations that will help drive the economy of the state.

The governor further enjoined them to instill discipline in their places of work. “You must constantly bear in mind that the only way you can instill discipline in your place of work, be it Ministry or Agency is to be an epitome of discipline yourself.”

Reiterating that welfare of civil servants and entire Imo work force in general will continue to be among the top priorities of his administration, Governor Uzodimma noted; “To this end, it is important to make it absolutely clear that I have never broken, will never break my promise of making sure that workers’ salaries are paid before the end of the month.

However, he advised heads of ministries and agencies of government to submit their payrolls and other relevant data on time to the adequate authorities. This will help salaries to be paid as at when due.