Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Chief of Staff (CoS) to bring honour to the state through discipline, loyalty, and a firm commitment to the success of his administration.
He also warned the SSG, Dr Dagogo S.A. Wokoma, and the new Chief of Staff, Barrister Sunny Ewule, who were sworn in at the Executive Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt, to shun unauthorised nocturnal meetings or any conduct capable of embarrassing the government, or face dismissal.
During the ceremony, the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi, administered the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the duo before Governor Fubara delivered his charge.
Fubara reminded them that their elevation to the new positions was a call to service and not a platform for political grandstanding or the pursuit of personal ambition.
He stressed that their foremost responsibility should be to the people of Rivers State, noting that their conduct must always reflect integrity, restraint, and dedication to the public good.
He described Wokoma as an accomplished academic and mathematician, expressing confidence in his intellectual depth and capacity to deliver on the new assignment.
The office of the Secretary to the State Government, Fubara said, demands thoroughness, discipline, and a deep sense of responsibility. He charged the SSG to represent the state with honour at all times.
“Your duty includes representing the state government. You need to represent us in a way and manner that will bring honour to us. What is important to this administration is to see that the good works we started, and the ones we met, are concluded in a way that will bring progress and development to our dear state,” he stated.
The governor similarly told the new Chief of Staff to ensure smooth administrative coordination, manage official engagements effectively, and safeguard the image of the Government House.
He underscored the sensitive and personal nature of the role and emphasised that the position operates strictly under the authority of the governor. Fubara stressed that the role does not permit independent political engagements or private strategy meetings without his knowledge and consent.
“Let me state very clearly: your duty is to ensure that you handle the administrative and image-management roles perfectly well, liaising with whoever is coming for any official assignment here.
“If you involve yourself in nocturnal meetings and all those things, I will sack you. I am very serious. What is important to me today is peace, progress, and prosperity of this state. I am not going to compromise anything for it,” he said.
Fubara cautioned that involvement of the new appointees in any action capable of bringing the government or his office into disrepute would attract appropriate sanctions.
He congratulated the new appointees and expressed optimism that they would justify the confidence reposed in them. He also called on all public officials to work together in unity, observing that collective success is stronger and more enduring than individual achievement.
The governor, who also addressed the permanent secretaries present at the ceremony, directed those who have reached retirement age to begin preparing their handover notes without delay.
The notice, he said, was not intended to scare anyone but to prepare their minds for the inevitability of exiting the service one day and to pave the way for an orderly transition.
He warned against any attempt to engage in financial misconduct or last-minute irregularities, stressing that he was closely monitoring the system to ensure strict enforcement of accountability rules.
