TheNewsGuru

Tag: Permanent Secretaries

  • Buhari appoints 4 Perm Secs, Solicitor General

    Buhari appoints 4 Perm Secs, Solicitor General

    President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of four new Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service.

    The President has also approved the appointment of the Solicitor General of the Federation, following the recently conducted selection process.

    This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Friday by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, through Mr Mohammed Abdullahi, Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the HOCSF.

    According to Yemi-Esan, the new permanent secretaries are Mary Ogbe – Benue, Shehu Ibrahim – Jigawa, Daju Shangti -Plateau.

    Also, Jedy-Agba Ejodamen had been appointed as Solicitor General of the Federation/Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice.

    She said a date for the swearing-in and deployment of the new appointees would be announced in due course.

  • Zulum appoints 3 new Permanent Secretaries

    Zulum appoints 3 new Permanent Secretaries

    Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno has approved the appointment of three new Permanent Secretaries in the state civil service.

    This is contained in a statement by the state Head of Service, Mr Simon Malgwi, on Friday in Maiduguri.

    Malgwi said the appointment was inline with the powers confer on the governor by Section 208 (2) (C) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

    He listed the appointees to include Garba Musa, Grema Fannami and Ahmadu Umara.

  • Obaseki swears in 14 new permanent secretaries for Edo

    Obaseki swears in 14 new permanent secretaries for Edo

    Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo, has sworn-in 14 new Permanent Secretaries for the state civil service, urging them to be transparent in the discharge of their duties.

    Obaseki, while addressing the permanent secretaries comprising nine males and five females in Benin on Tuesday said they would be held responsible for corrupt practices even after leaving office.

    The governor urged them to be digitally compliant as the State Government plans to switch over from analog to e-governance on Feb. 1.

    “You are the chief accounting officers of your ministries, the fact that you are in government for a while does not mean that your activities while in government will not be looked into.

    ”Hence you have to be very, very cautious of the decision you make. Most Nigerians don’t know that even after you retire, you are still liable and culpable for your activities during your time in office.

    “I am pleased to Inform you that we will continue to work on our systems so that you can deliver effectively to our people.

    “We continue to build on human capacity, we will continue to train and retrain our civil and public servants, we are also equipping and investing on the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy to make it second to none in this part of the world,” he said.

    He added: “Effective from Feb. 1, I the governor, will switch over to e-governance platform, which effectively means that I will now approve memos and send e-mails to you vial the e-platform,” he said.

    Obaseki stressed that his administration was working to restore the past glories of the civil and public service.

    He said the permanent secretaries were appointed based on merits and advised them not to seek popularity as they were not politicians.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the permanent secretaries included Mr Anelu Osemen, Mrs Felicia Edwards, Mrs Grace Aihie, Mr Egwakhide Gilbert, Mr Iserhienrhien Efe, and Mr Aikhuomobhogbe Uidia.

    Others were Mr Toritseju Onaiwu, Mrs Ifueko Alufokhai, Mr Osikhena Ojior and Mrs Barbara Osobajo. Mr Asibor Lucky, Mrs Igbinobaro Joy, Mr Washington Abbe and Mr Asemota Uyi.

    Speaking on behalf of the permanent secretaries, Mr Anelu Osemen, said that their task was to work for the progress of the state.

  • Umahi suspends 5 permanent secretaries for 6 months

    Umahi suspends 5 permanent secretaries for 6 months

    Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi on Wednesday suspended five permanent secretaries in the state civil service for six months over alleged lack of commitment to duties.

    Umahi made the disclosure while swearing in 11 reappointed commissioners, several old and new Special Assistants and Senior Special Assistants.

    The governor announced that the affected permanent secretaries who would be sent for retraining were those in charge of the ministries of health, education, communication, sports and solid minerals.

    “The Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and the commissioner for human capital development should organise six months training for them which I would sponsor.

    “They should be taught what a permanent secretary is, how to prepare memorandum and how to take responsibilities in their ministries.

    “The SSG and the acting Head of Service should identify ministries without permanent secretaries and fill such positions with the most intelligent official in such ministries.

    “The official can be on grade level 10 but would be promoted to level 14 because I need help in the ministries,” he said.

    He noted that underperforming permanent secretaries would henceforth be demoted by two grade levels and disengaged from the system.

    “The permanent secretary is the real owner for the ministry and the issue with the suspended ones was not dullness but lac of commitment,” he said.

    Umahi congratulated the newly-sworn in commissioners and noted that he would admonish them during the state executive council meetings.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that nine out of the 11 sworn-in commissioners retained their positions, while two were assigned new portfolios.

    The commissioners include: Chief Clement Nweke-housing and urban development, Mrs Ann Aligwe—human capital development, Mr Charlse Akpuenika-youth development and sports and Mrs Chinwe Okah—women affairs.

    Mrs Chioma Nweze was retained as commissioner for investment, Chief Emmanuel Uguru-lands and survey. Mr Oluchukwu Ukie-Ezeali–project monitoring, Mrs Elizabeth Ogbaga—culture and tourism and Chief Ogodo-Ali Nome—agriculture and natural resources.

    Mr Eze Nwachukwu was assigned the commissioner for market and park development while Mr Joseph Ekuma-Nkama takes charge of inter-governmental affairs.

    Chief Clement Nweke, Commissioner for Housing thanked the governor for reappointing them and pledged to redouble their loyalty and commitment to the cause of governance.

  • 21 directors fail assessments to become permanent secretaries

    21 directors fail assessments to become permanent secretaries

    Twenty-one directors on Salary Grade Level 17 in the Federal Civil Service who sat for a written examination as part of the process of appointing them as permanent secretaries failed the examination.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that the 21 directors were among 46 senior officers who took the examination in Abuja on Monday.

    The outstanding 25 of them, who passed the examination, are now qualified for the next stage, which is the Information Communication Technology proficiency test holding on Thursday (today).

    Although the Federal Government had in May announced the shortlisting of 47 directors for the examination among the 51 candidates who earlier faced a panel, results of only 46 directors were seen on the list of the result obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday.

    The document, titled ‘Re; Selection exercise for the appointment of permanent secretaries in the federal civil service,’ was dated June 1, 2021, and signed by Sunny Echocho on behalf of the examination committee.

    TheNewsGuru gathered that the 25 directors who passed the written examination and were invited for the next stage were those who scored 50 and above in the examination.

    The 21 directors who failed the examination were those who scored below 50. A candidate with 33.5 was the director with the lowest score in the examination.

    The director with 68.5 was the candidate with the highest score.

    Names of the officials were, however, not specified on the document.

    The candidates were identified by their service numbers.

    Those who pass the ICT test on Thursday will qualify for the last stage, which is an interactive session with a broad-based panel of experts and practitioners.

    The candidates are competing to fill the vacancies of retired permanent secretaries and those retiring this year in five states of the federation.

    The affected states are Ekiti, Katsina, Nasarawa, Enugu and Lagos.

     

  • Buhari approves redeployment of nine Permanent Secretaries

    Buhari approves redeployment of nine Permanent Secretaries

    President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the redeployment of nine Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service.

    Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), made this known in a circular she signed and issued in Abuja on Thursday.

    The permanent secretaries are: Mr Musa Istifanus, from Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy to Ministry of Defence and Mr Gabriel Aduda, moving from Ministry of Youths and Sports Development to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    Others are: Mr Ernest Umakhihe, Works and Housing to Agriculture and Rural Development and Mr Festus Daudu, from the office of HOCSF to Communication and Digital Economy.

    Mr Nebosila Anako was moved from Information and Culture to Youths and Sports Development, while Mr Babangla Hussaini moved from Defence to Works and Housing.

    Similarly, Dr Anthonia Ekpa was redeployed from office of the HOCS to Ministry of Women Affairs, while Dr Adaora Anyanwutaku moved from Women Affairs to Information and Culture.

    Also, Mr James Sule was redeployed from the office of the HOCSF to Cabinet Affairs Office at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

    According to the statement, the redeployment takes immediate effect.

  • BREAKING: Buhari swears in four new Permanent Secretaries

    BREAKING: Buhari swears in four new Permanent Secretaries

    President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn in four newly appointed Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Civil Service.

    The brief swearing-in ceremony took place just before commencement of the weekly virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the Council Chambers of the State House.

    The four new Permanent Secretaries, including three men and a woman, are completing the list of 16 persons appointed in June, 12 of whom had been sworn-in more than a month ago.

    Those sworn-in today include Mr James Sule from Kaduna; Mr Ismaila Abubakar from Kebbi; Mrs Ibiene Patricia Roberts from Rivers and Mr Shehu Aliyu Shinkafi from Zamfara.

    The weekly virtual FEC meeting, which is in progress, took off immediately after the brief swearing-in ceremony.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN); Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno; and four Ministers physically in attendance.

    Those in attendance include the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed; and the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Mr Clement Agba.

    Others are attending from their various offices through video conference.

  • Buhari appoints 12 new permanent secretaries (Full List)

    Buhari appoints 12 new permanent secretaries (Full List)

    President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed 12 new permanent secretaries in the Federal Civil Service.

    Dr Folasade Yem-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), made this known in a statement signed by Mrs Olawunmi Ogunmosunle, Director Communication, in her office on Tuesday, in Abuja.

    The new Permanent Secretaries are Mr Akinlade Oluwatoyin from Kogi, Malam Alkali Nura from Kano State, Mr Anyanwutaku Ifeoma from Anambra.

    Also appointed are Mr Ardo Kumo from Gombe State, Mr Belgore Lamido from Kwara and Mr Ekpa Akpabio from Cross River.

    Others are Malam Hussaini Babangida from Jigawa State, Malam Mahmuda Mamman from Yobe, Mr Meribole Kwukuemeka from Abia, Malam Mohammed Ganda from Sokoto State, Mr Tarfa Peter from Adamawa and Mr Udoh Omokunmi from Oyo State.

    Yemi-Esan said that a date for the swearing-in and deployment of the new permanent secretaries will be announced later.

  • Court reinstates 14 Perm Secs sacked by Wike

    Court reinstates 14 Perm Secs sacked by Wike

    …Orders payments of salaries, other entitlements from 2015

    The National Industrial Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has reinstated the permanent secretaries sacked in 2015 by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

    The court declared the action of removing and compulsorily retiring the affected senior civil servants by the governor as unconstitutional, ultra vires, null and void.

    Ruling on the case brought before him by the aggrieved permanent secretaries, the presiding judge, Bashar Alkali, held that the state government overstepped its constitutional bounds by treating the civil servants as if they were his political appointees.

    Alkali held that all their entitlements, salaries and other privileges should be restored within 30 days adding that their salaries must be paid from November 2015 till date.

    “They should not lose their entitlements if their appointments were wrongly terminated. They are entitled to their salaries from the day of the termination till date”, he said.

    Alkali further condemned the eviction of the affected permanent secretaries from their official quarters despite the order of the court that all the parties should maintain the status quo.

    He said: “The action is unacceptable and is totally condemned. It is unlawful, illegal and null and void. I declare that the claimants remain permanent secretaries. I set aside the purported approval of compulsory retirement. Pay them all the arrears. They should be paid”.

    Wike in a statement issued by his government in November 2015 removed and compulsorily retired 14 permanent secretaries.

    Aggrieved by the action of the governor, the permanent secretaries approached the INC praying the court to declare the action of the governor as illegal and unconstitutional.

    Among other reliefs, the claimants also prayed the court to make orders setting aside their compulsory retirements, reinstating their salaries and other entitlements as well as awarding them N600m as damages.

    Alkali while determining the case, first dismissed the submission of the lawyer to the defendants that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter and that the matter should be dismissed following the decision of the claimants, who were not employed on the same day, to join the case.

    But the judge, who held that the court had jurisdiction to adjudicate over the case, added that the matter was rightly instituted since despite their different dates of employment, the permanent secretaries had shown the existence of common grievances.

    “This suit is rightly instituted and the court has jurisdiction to adjudicate over this matter. It is crystal clear that all the claimants have shown existence of common grievance so that the judgement will be given jointly and severely”, he said.

    On whether the governor had the right to compulsorily retire the permanent secretaries, Alkali, who cited many judicial precedents, said the claimants were civil servants under industry rules and not under the whims and caprices of the governor.

    He said as civil servants, the permanent secretaries were employed under the civil service regulations to work for 35 years before retirement or quit after attaining 60 years of age.

    He said the case of compulsory retirement only applies when a public servant is indicted of wrongdoing, which must be handled by the civil service commission through an established procedure.

    Alkali said though the governor had powers based on Section 281 of the 1999 Constitution to appoint a permanent secretary, he lacked the power to remove and retire such public servant without recourse to the established procedure in the civil service.

    He said: “The power of the governor to remove does not include retirement. The government of Rivers State having appointed them must adhere to the civil service guidelines. Only the civil service commission is vested with the powers to discipline the civil servants.

    “The power of the governor to appoint is not absolute. Civil servants do not hold their offices at the mercy of the governor. Even if they are removed, they should be returned to the civil service. They are not like commissioners or special advisers, whose tenures are tied to the governor.

    “Civil servants cannot be removed at will without compliance to the rules. If the governor doesn’t want them as permanent secretaries, they should be returned to the service as directors.

    “The security of tenure and rights of the civil servants are determined by the civil service Commission. The claimants are not political appointees and cannot be retired by the governor”.

  • Delta: Okowa appoints 11 permanent secretaries

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has approved the appointment of eleven permanent secretaries for the Delta State Civil Service and the Post Primary Education Board (PPEB).

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Lucky Omokri, Deputy Director of Information in the State Ministry of Information made this known on Tuesday while stating that the date for the swearing-in ceremony will be announced later.

    Those appointed in the State Civil Service are Onojeta A. Francis, Paul Osahor Onyebuchi-Lucky, Uwalogho Ese Joseph, Nwanze Anastasia Ngozi (Mrs), Obiegba Cletus Nzefili, Ehimen-Babigha Charity (Mrs), and Agas Oghenekevwe (Mrs).

    Those appointed in PPEB are Aghwadoma Felicia Iroroevwo (Mrs), Tonwe Unioyo Alero. C (Mrs), Bamah Gozi Judith J. (Mrs), and Chukwuma Austine Ekababanichionye.

    Meanwhile, the Delta State House of Assembly has screened and confirmed members of the State Direct Labour Agency (DLA) recently nominated by Governor Okowa.

    TNG reports the nominees were screened and confirmed at Tuesday’s plenary presided over by Speaker of the House, Sheriff Oborevwori.

    The members are Precious Ajaino as Director General, Blessing Enamuotor, Ndudi Osakunih-Izuegbu and Austin Bebeteidoh as directors.

    Also, Governor Okowa on Tuesday inaugurated a 42-member State Advisory and Peace Building Council with a charge on the members to sustain and deepen the peaceful atmosphere in the state.

    The council has Prof. Sam Oyovbaire, former Minister of Information, as Chairman.

    Okowa named former state Deputy Governors – Chief Benjamin Elue and Prof. Amos Utuama – and Prince Sam Obi, Chief Chris Agbobu, Alawei Brodrick Bozimo, Brig.-Gen. B. Demeyeibo (rtd), Chief Mike Adiotomre and Chief Ignatius Agidi as members.

    Other members included Chief Patrick Egone, Mr John Nwagimeje, Sen. Stella Omu, Mr Paul Enebeli, Sen. Patrick Osakwe, Dr.(Mrs) F. Nwaeze, Prof. E.C. Nwanze, Dr Pius Sinebe, Chief Joseph Ejigba, Chief Eddie Sorhue and Chief (Mrs) Esther Uduehi,

    Also, Chief E.D. Oborfukoro, Chief Robert Ejifoma, Pa. John Edah, Chief Roland Oritsejafor, Chief E. E. Ebimani, Chief Judith Enamuotor, Rev. Gideon Oyibo, Mr Joseph Ikhena, Chief Denis Etaluku, Prof. Sam. Ukala, Chief Jonathan Uyeri and Chief Samuel Okoro are members.

    Other members are Mrs Felicia Ajagu, Mrs Theodora Giwa-Amu, Mrs Felicia Sani, Rev. Oke Akokotu, Elder Ayo Odonmeta, Chief Emmanuel Okumagba, Rear Adm. Mike Onah (rtd), Chief Magaret Unukegwo, Mrs. Grace Boyo and Rt. Rev. Justus Mogekwu.

    According to the governor, the inauguration is part of the State Government’s effort to further strengthen the wheel of governance in the state.

    “As a way of tapping from the wealth of experience of our people, it is necessary to reconstitute the Delta State Advisory and Peace Building Council through the appointment of these men and women of tested integrity and exemplary character.

    “Let me reiterate that the appointment of the members of the council is not based on any political consideration whatsoever,” he said.

    He charged the council to bring their experiences to bear on their function and create environment to deepen the peace between the state executive and other arms of government.

    Okowa charged the council ensure harmony between Delta government and the Federal Government and other international bodies.

    He called on the citizens to give the council the needed support and corporation to succeed while thanking the members for accepting to serve.

    “I urge all of you to bring your wealth of experience to bear on this appointment,” Okowa said.

    Responding on behalf of the council, Oyovbaire thanked the governor for the appointment and pledged their resolve to deliver on the assignment.

    Also in an interview, Rev. Mogekwu said the appointment was a call to service, adding that the council would not betray the confidence reposed on it to sustain and deepen the peaceful atmosphere in the state.