Lokoja — The new Secretary to the Kogi State Government, Professor Olugbenro Jegede, was yesterday sworn in Lokoja.

Professor Jegede is former Vice Chancellor of National Open University Nigeria (NOUN) and also immediate past Secretary General of the Association of African Universities based in Ghana.

Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony, Governor Idris Wada said Prof Jegede's appointment was based on merit and it took a very long difficult search to get the best for the state.

His administration, according to him, has zero tolerance for injustice and corruption and therefore called on the SSG to join hand with him in developing the state for all people of the state, saying the position was challenging.

While urging him to deal with people without bias irrespective of religion and ethnicity, the governor also implored him to shun sentiment and corruption as the state has zero tolerance of corruption.

He called on political office holders and civil servants to cooperate and join the administration to move the state to the next level.

Responding, Professor Olugbenro Jegede assured the governor of his support, saying the governor wanted a technocrat that could move the state forward and warned that he was not a secretary to a particular group or local government but rather secretary to the state government.