By YANGE IKYAA
The federal ministry of water resources and sanitation on Monday ushered in a new era of leadership, as it welcomed the newly appointed minister, Joseph Terlumun Utsev; and the minister of state, Bello Muhammed Goronyo.
During the welcome reception held in the ministry’s conference room, Utsev expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for entrusting him with the opportunity to serve Nigeria in this capacity.
He acknowledged the dedication, resourcefulness, and contributions of the ministry’s staff and its agencies and also emphasized his commitment to ethical values, a conducive work environment, and an open-door policy to encourage teamwork, regular interactions, and collaboration among staff and stakeholders.P
The professor of engineering also expressed commitment to prioritizing staff trainings, promotions, and provision of necessary tools and equipment to enhance service delivery. He urged all staff to reciprocate these efforts with renewed dedication to their official duties and responsibilities.
The minister further shared plans for an early tour of ongoing projects and programmes to better understand their impact and contributions to the nation. He extended appreciation to the Federal Government for its support to the ministry over the years and also recognized the efforts of the immediate past minister of water resources, Suleiman H. Adamu, as well as all previous ministers and technocrats who have served the ministry selflessly.
In his remarks, the minister of state, Bello Muhammed Goronyo, expressed gratitude to the ministry’s management and staff. He assured everyone of readiness to utilize their wealth of experience and expertise to drive the execution of policies and programs for the accelerated development of water and sanitation in Nigeria.
In her welcome address, the permanent secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Didi Walson- Jack, shared her enthusiasm on behalf of the entire ministry staff regarding the new appointments. She highlighted the ministry’s readiness for a period of remarkable growth and progress under the new ministers.
The permanent secretary provided an overview of the ministry’s structure, which includes six technical departments, eleven support departments and units, twelve river basin development authorities, and three agencies. These entities collaborate to implement governmental policies, projects, and programs that ensure sustainable access to water and sanitation for all Nigerians.
According to Mrs Funmi Imuetinyam, who is the head of press and public relations unit in the ministry, the highpoint of the assumption of office ceremony was the presentation of handover notes to both ministers.
