By Abubakar Rabilu Gombe
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has sworn in 19 newly appointed Permanent Secretaries, describing the exercise as the largest single appointment of Permanent Secretaries in the history of the state.
The governor, who spoke on Thursday during the swearing-in ceremony in Gombe, said the appointments had increased the number of Permanent Secretaries appointed by his administration to 55 in the last seven-and-a-half years.
Yahaya, who is also Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum, said the appointments were part of his administration’s efforts to strengthen the civil service and reposition it as the engine room of effective governance and service delivery.
He said the civil service remained critical to the development of the state because it serves as the repository of institutional memory, custodian of public policies and machinery through which government programmes and policies are implemented.
The governor said his administration had undertaken several reforms, including the establishment of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms and introduction of biometric attendance to tackle ghost workers and absenteeism.
He added that the government had implemented the minimum wage for state and local government workers, recruited 1,000 teachers and commenced construction of a modern secretariat complex to provide a conducive working environment.
According to him, the administration has also paid more than N33 billion in pension and gratuity obligations, with about 70 per cent of the liabilities inherited from the previous administration.
Yahaya said another phase of gratuity payments would commence by the end of September, expressing optimism that the government would leave office in May 2027 without outstanding gratuity obligations.
On the recruitment process, the governor said the appointments followed an assessment of the civil service structure necessitated by the creation of new ministries and restructuring of government.
He said senior directors from the 11 local government areas were shortlisted, with their qualifications and service records reviewed, while written examinations were conducted to assess their general knowledge and ICT competencies.
He said the process was designed to promote merit, fairness, equity and justice, noting that all 11 local government areas were represented.
The governor urged the new Permanent Secretaries to uphold integrity, professionalism and accountability, warning that his administration would not tolerate indiscipline, corruption or dishonest conduct.
He charged them to embrace innovation and technology, lead by example and ensure that their respective ministries deliver on their mandates.
Yahaya also assured civil servants that his administration would continue to prioritise their welfare, capacity building and dignity, saying the goal was to bequeath the state with a competent, result-oriented and responsive civil service.
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