Public service in Abia State, for decades, was seen as a goldmine, where custodians and managers of state institutions arrive with plates, spoons, and knives to cut their share of the cake. People join public service with their drain pipes ready to plug into the public treasury pipe and draw as many state resources as possible to their private pockets without considering the effect on the wider society.
Expectations of many in Abia to date remain that money should be shared by hand instead of using it for developmental purposes thereby putting pressure on the lean resources of the State. Meeting such expectations resulted in placing little or no emphasis on infrastructure development and even industrialization for the people of Abia State.
Conscious of this fact, on the assumption of office, Gov. Ikpeazu decided to chart a new course for the state. To deliver on his desire to positively change the narrative of the state, the ministry of finance, being the livewire and the engine room of project incubation needed to be repositioned to meet the obligation of his administration in the midst of changing socio-economic realities.
The Governor saw the need to restructure and reform the entire financial system of the State, hence the appointment of Mr. Obinna Oriaku to be the Commissioner for Finance, who himself is a seasoned banker with public sector management experience spanning over several years with the Enugu State Government. (more…)