The Cross River State Head of Service, Barrister Ekpenyong Henshaw, has described the civil service as a very strong institution that is well positioned and has the ability to correct itself of any wrong development.
Barrister Henshaw made the assertion, while addressing Directors and Heads of Administration of Ministries, Departments and Agencies during their second quarter meeting held at Lamoni Munche, New Secretariat, Calabar.
He charged Directors and Heads of administrations in each MDA, to groom people to succeed them since there is no general training for now, adding that, MDAs can have departmental meetings and use it as a training session to develop their staff and subordinates to avoid vacuum in the absent of a substantive director.
According to Mr. Henshaw, the Governor wants every civil servant promoted to enjoy his or her promotion benefits and that for the MDAs that have not declared their promotion vacancies can still send it to the office of the Head of Service for inclusion during supplementary budget.
He expressed dissatisfaction on poor attendance of Directors in Government functions, and advised that, hence forth, Directors should attend Government functions whether  invited or not.
On the proper routing of letters especially for retirees from the service, the Permanent Secretary, Public Service Office, Office of the Head of Service, Mr. Emmanuel Enene Eke, said following the upgrading of Department of Establishment to a Ministry, such letters are now to be addressed to the Commissioner, ministry of Rural Transformation, Establishments and Training.
Issues like change of names, Mr. Eke said, should also be addressed to the same Ministry and no longer the office of the Head of Service.
The Permanent Secretary warned that, on no account should individual staff come to office of the Head of Service for pay slip as it is now been sent to the account unit of each MDAs, and lamented on the poor response to circulars by most Directors of administration of MDAs and took time to analyze the negative effects of such actions to the service in general.
The meeting also viewed the issue of ghost wokers in the service that are being shield by their heads and delay in sending monthly update of staff nominal list which is meant to simplify deletions or inclusion of Staff in MDAs, adding that, monthly update of staff nominal roll should be submitted to the office of the Head of Service in soft and hard copy and on time, for this is used to access and evaluate staff performance.
On posting of staff in the service or refusal of staff to proceed on posting, it was reemphasized that, any staff that refuse posting shall have his or her salary stopped, adding that, there is need for staff to move around through posting as to gain experience in other Departments in the service because such Staff may be appointed Permanent Secretary in the future.

The meeting was attended by all Directors and Heads of Administrations of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the Civil/Public Service.

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar