Go and manage Bayelsa economy, Dickson tells new Finance Commissioner
Omotola Adebayo
Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson on Wednesday inaugurated Mr. Maxwell Embeleyi Ebibai as the State Commissioner for Finance.
Until his appointment, Ebibai was the Vice President, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
While delivering his charge at the swearing-in ceremony at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, Yenagoa, Dickson explained that Ebibai would have been sworn-in alongside the first set of members of his cabinet, but was regularising his disengagement from AMCON.
Urging Ebibai to work closely with his predecessor, Duate Iyabi and the state economic team, Dickson said his vast wealth of experience in the banking sector would be required to manage the state’s economy, particularly at a time when the state and country were grappling with the economic downturn.
According to him, Ebibai would serve as the Vice Chairman of the State economic Team as well as a member of the State Investment Team.
He added that the new commissioner was expected to utilise his capacity to network and service the bureaucracy of government and its policies and programmes.
“Your predecessor himself is a top banker per excellence with his equally committed finance team. You are not alone; Mr. Duate Iyabi is the chief Economic Adviser. He is still the chairman of the state economic team and you will be his vice chairman. You will also be a critical member of the state investment team. We have a tradition of collective record keeping, decision-making”, he said.
He also called on the new Commissioner for Finance to use his capacity to consolidate on the goodwill and confidence that investors have in the government for the development of the state.