- Orders End To Unauthorized Overseas Travels
BY RITA OYIBOKA
DELTA State Government has initiated a crackdown on unauthorised overseas travel by public and civil servants, who have abandoned their duty posts without official clearance.
This action follows a high-level meeting in September, chaired by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, which included Permanent Secretaries, heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments, and directors.
During the meeting, the Governor expressed deep concern over a growing trend of government officers neglecting their duty posts for overseas trips without proper authorisation, yet continue to draw salaries.
In an official statement, released to The Pointer from the office of the Head of Service, the state government pledged to hold accountable any staff member who disregards travel protocols.
The statement read in part, “His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sherriff Oborevwori expresses profound dissatisfaction with the rampant trend of officers abandoning their responsibilities to travel abroad without authorisation while continuing to draw salaries. Such practice is a severe breach of discipline, threatening the integrity and operational efficiency of the State’s Public Service.”
To address this issue, the government has, therefore, mandated that, all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) should compile a comprehensive list of officers who have travelled abroad from 2018 to date, noting which officers who travelled with or without official approval and identifying any cases where authorisation has lapsed.
This measure aims to restore accountability and reinforce discipline across the state’s public service sector.
