Ojji Hands Over To Macaulay As Functioning PS
BY PATRICK MGBODO
THE Delta State Ministry of Information, yesterday, witnessed a change in its administrative leadership as Mr Harold Ojji formally handed over duties as functioning Permanent Secretary to the new functioning Permanent Secretary, Mrs Stella Macaulay.
Presided over by the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, the handover ceremony marked the culmination of a 33-year career for Mr. Ojii, who bowed out of service after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60.
While congratulating Mr Ojii on his retirement, the information commissioner recalled his cordial relationship with the outgoing functioning PS, which he traced back to the Emmanuel Uduaghan administration.
Aniagwu noted Ojji’s dedication to service, which enabled him to make an enviable impact in his six-month stint as a functioning PS, even as he urged him to be available.
‘’Ojii made my work in the Government House (as Chief Press Secretary), and in my return to the ministry, he has also made it easier, especially considering my other numerous responsibilities.
‘’It is a good thing that he has been able to get to the peak of his career, even if I would have loved it if he became a substantive Permanent Secretary. But he has functioned in that capacity, and he has his signatures in certain areas where nobody will erase’’ Aniagwu said.
To the incoming Permanent Secretary, Mrs Macaulay, the commissioner expressed confidence in her ability to discharge the duties expected of her office based on her renowned antecedents, experience and qualification.
‘’I know she has the capacity and the capabilities to fit into Ojji’s very large shoe’’ Aniagwu said, even as he charged officers in the Ministry to support Macaulay in executing the broader mandate of the state government.
In his remark, the outgoing functioning PS, Mr Ojji, thanked God for His mercy and benevolence since 1992 when he joined the civil service to his retirement in 2025, just as he thanked the Commissioner and his colleagues for their support and friendship.
Highlighting achievements and challenges during his tenure as functioning PS, Ojii mentioned staff welfare interventions and improved information management, even as he appealed for utility vehicles and better equipment for the Ministry and its agencies.
Responding, the incoming functioning Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Macaulay, shared kind words for Mr Ojji on his retirement, just as she solicited the support and cooperation of her colleagues to excel in her new role.
‘’On my part, training and retraining (of officers) continues to be my focus. I will liaise with the Commissioner, whose welfarist stance is top-notch… I charge every one of us to serve with purpose, making every second count towards excellence’’
At the handover ceremony, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State, Comrade Churchill Oyowe, and a Director in the Ministry, Mr Salvation Ogono, delivered goodwill messages.
The event, witnessed by Directors and other officials in the ministry, reached its climax with the signing of handover notes between the outgoing functioning PS and the incoming functioning PS.
