Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has vowed to discipline Permanent Secretaries who violated civil service rules during the six-month emergency rule in the state.

Speaking at the swearing-in of a new Permanent Secretary, Austin Ezekiel-Hart, in Port Harcourt on Friday, Fubara warned that records of misconduct by some officials would be revisited and that those found guilty would not escape punishment.

He lamented that while the civil service should be the foundation of good governance, some senior officials failed to uphold due process and instead backed unlawful practices.

The governor noted that his administration places premium on integrity and professionalism, stressing that he expects civil servants to “do the right thing” rather than seek to please him.

Commending Ezekiel-Hart’s principled stance, Fubara said the appointee’s refusal to compromise his integrity despite pressure was the reason for his elevation. He urged him and others in the service to always put professionalism above personal or political interests.

Fubara assured that his government would never compel officials to act outside the law, insisting that every directive must align with due process and civil service standards.