By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
Dr Chris Osa Isokpunwu has officially taken over as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Steel Development.
The new Permanent Secretary received the baton of leadership from Dr Mary Ogbe who has hitherto been the scribe for the twin Ministries of Solid Minerals Development and Steel Development during a handover ceremony held Monday at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
Upon taking over, Dr Isokounwu expressed commitment to the development of the steel sector to attain its full potentials in the country, according to a statement signed by Ijomah Opia for the head, Press and Public Relations in the ministry.
While thanking President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for approving his Appointment as Permanent Secretary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he enjoined management and staff to work assiduously to achieve the goal of using the steel sector for the industrialisation of the nation, as well as to solve some of the country’s socio-economic problems.
He commended the former Permanent Secretary, Dr Ogbe, whom he reportedly described as “a woman of steel”, for effectively holding the realms of the Steel Development and the Solid Minerals Development Ministries since they were created in August of 2023, and assured of his readiness to build on her already existing achievements.
Earlier in her address, the former Permanent Secretary expressed confidence that the new Permanent Secretary was well equipped for the task ahead, describing him as a very capable, seasoned administrator with an impressive track record.
According to her, the ministry’s mandate of ensuring the development of the steel sector was very critical in that no nation could industrialise without a functional steel industry.
Dr Ogbe urged the management and staff to give the new Permanent Secretary their support for the growth of the ministry, the steel and metal sector, and the country at large.
Delivering vote of thanks, the Director, Metallurgical Raw Materials Development and Investment Promotion, Mr Imeh Ikrikpo, informed the new Permanent Secretary that the ministry was happy to receive him as he assured him of the support of management and staff.
Dr Isokpunwu has put in more than 25 years of dedicated service to the Nigerian healthcare system.
Untill his deployment at the Ministry of Steel Development, he was the Director of the Department of Health Planning Research and Statistics in the Federal Ministry of Health, _SUMMIT POST_ has learnt.
