Delta Administrative Officers Forum Inducts 151 Officers After Five-Year Hiatus

The Administrative Officers Forum has ended a five-year hiatus with the induction of 151 officers into the Administrative Officers Cadre of the Delta State Civil Service.

The milestone followed a two-day orientation programme in Asaba for officers converted between 2021 and 2024. The ceremony was presided over by the Delta State Head of Service, Mininim Oseji, and attended by former Heads of Service, serving and retired Permanent Secretaries, and other senior officials.

Declaring the event open, Dr. Oseji congratulated the inductees, describing the Administrative Officers Cadre as prestigious and pivotal to effective governance. She said their conversion reflected the confidence reposed in them to provide leadership across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

“You should see your conversion and induction not as an elevation of status, but as an expansion of responsibility. Expectations are higher, scrutiny is greater, and the burden of duty is heavier,” she said.

She urged the officers to uphold Public Service Rules and Financial Regulations, ensure proper documentation, and promote transparency, accountability and professionalism, while remaining neutral and loyal to government policies. According to her, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s support for the induction aligns with the MORE Agenda of his administration and signals renewed expectations from the civil service.

Chairman of the Forum, Mr. Emokiniovo Itobore, who assumed office in 2025, noted that the induction had stalled for years due to funding constraints. He commended the Governor and the Head of Service for making resources available to revive the programme.

“For several years, this induction could not hold due to paucity of funds. In times like these, it is not easy. We therefore commend the Governor and the Head of Service for making resources available to accomplish this feat,” he said.

The Dean of the Forum, Mr. Kingsley Olomukoro, charged inductees to embrace professionalism, ethical decision-making and innovation in tackling public sector challenges, while Mrs. Oghenekevwe Agas, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Women Affairs and patron of the Forum, called for sustainable strategies to further professionalise the cadre.

The ceremony climaxed with the administration of the oath of allegiance by the Forum’s Legal Adviser, Ukpedor Oghoghomeh, presentation of a communiqué by Mr. Lucky Izomor, and a symbolic handshake with the Head of Service. marking a renewed commitment to service excellence and career progression within the Delta State Civil Service.