Governor Dauda Lawal has sworn in Yakubu Sani Haidara as the new Head of the Civil Service of Zamfara State, along with 12 new permanent secretaries.
The swearing-in ceremony, which marks the beginning of the tenure of the new Head of Service and Permanent Secretaries, took place on Thursday in the old chamber of the Government House in Gusau, the state capital.
A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, disclosed that the Office Coordinator of Donor Activities and Programs has also been established under the Executive Governor’s office.
The statement added that the newly created office will be headed by a Permanent Secretary, reporting directly to the governor. “The main role of the Permanent Secretary is coordinating all donor/ developmental partner activities and programs, in conjunction with implementing MDAs.”
In his speech at the swearing-in, Governor Lawal described the newly appointed Head of Service as a distinguished bureaucrat with an outstanding administrative career spanning over three decades.
“Your appointment is a recognition of your capacity and dedication to public service. This new role presents an opportunity to deploy your wealth of experience in repositioning the civil service towards greater efficiency, productivity, and purposeful service delivery.
“As the Head of Service, you are responsible for driving forward the current public service reforms initiated by this administration. These reforms aim to build a more effective and responsive system capable of meeting the needs and aspirations of the people of Zamfara State.
“You are entrusted with supervising the Permanent Secretaries and the entire civil service to ensure that government policies and programs are effectively formulated and implemented.”
The governor also noted that the Permanent Secretaries’ appointment was informed by a thorough and transparent process. This involved an intensive refresher course, written exams, oral interviews, and ICT-based tests, culminating in a professional assessment by the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN).
“The decision to reform the appointment processes of Permanent Secretaries in the state to conform with current standards of service and best practice is informed by our desire to entrench merit rather than arbitrariness and favoritism as a tool for career advancement in the state civil service.
“We believe that to reform the public service, which is the central institution of policy formulation and government implementation, competence and professionalism must be the topmost priority. Alhamdulillah, with this exercise, we have set the necessary standard to sustain In sha Allah.
“Having taken the oath of office as Permanent Secretaries of Zamfara State Government, you should understand that your roles are critical to the successful implementation of the objectives of our administration; I believe that by your intellects and proven capacities, you will rise to the occasion with diligence and a sense of responsibility.
“As the accounting officers in your respective ministries and posts, you are expected to align your actions with the six points agenda of this administration and ensure that every policy and program under your supervision contributes to 4 the realization of the objectives of our mission of delivering good governance to the people of Zamfara State,” he stated.
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