As one of the North East states recuperating from the effects of the decade-long Boko Haram insurgency, Yobe State was also confronted with the challenges of mass retirements of seasoned civil servants who started work from old Borno State before Yobe was carved out as a state. In this interview with ALIYU MUSA in Damaturu, the state Head of Service, Alhaji Garba Bilal, highlights some of the retirement succession plans put in place by the Yobe State government under Governor Mai Mala Buni.
As the Head of Civil Service of one of the states recuperating from the devastating effects of Boko Haram insurgency, how has it been so far?
Well, it was quite tedious but interesting. The most interesting part of it is that once you have a focused and pragmatic leader that motivates you to do better, things will not only be easy but also accomplishing. The civil service remains the instrument of government for the formulation and implementation of policies, programmes and projects, leveraging on efficient aggregation and deployment of human and material resources. His Excellency, the executive governor of Yobe State, Hon Mai Mala Buni, has been trying his best to ensure that human and material resources are provided so that the workers can put in their best for the overall development of our dear state, Yobe.
Yobe is also facing challenges of mass retirement, as most of the civil servants employed in the former Borno are exiting after putting in their years of service. Is there any succession plan?
A lot of hue and cry has been made that the civil servants who moved from former Borno State to Yobe State have retired. If you look at it, what the governor is currently doing towards bridging the gap is a great achievement towards reforming and repositioning the state’s civil service.
In just three years from 2020 to 2023, His Excellency, Hon Mai Mala Buni, has employed 5,602 applicants, most of whom are serving or doing their biometric data capture exercise processes. What the governor did, sincerely speaking, is unprecedented in the history of Yobe State. To begin with, despite economic challenges, among other challenges in the country, Governor Mai Mala Buni graciously approved the employment of 2,670 Degree/Higher National Diploma (HND), National Certificate of Education (NCE) and National Diploma holders to be employed in all the 178 political wards of the state. Each ward was asked to provide not less than 5 candidates who are holders of the aforementioned qualifications for the purpose of employment.
As you are aware, some of our local government areas have 12 wards, some 11, some even 13. So, out of all these, we have employed 890 Degree/HND holders, 890 NCE holders and 890 ND holders, and biometric data capture exercise has commenced.
In the present political era, or dispensation, for a government to employ 2,670 Degree/HND, NCE and ND holders is a great achievement by the government of His Excellency, Mai Mala Buni, bearing in mind the current economic situation in the country. Not only that, the governor has again approved the employment of another 700 personnel in order to reposition the state civil service to enable it respond to the socio-economic and political dynamics of the moment.
The 700 that were employed comprise 250 Degree/HND holders, 150 NCE holders, 150 ND holders and 150 SSCE holders. I am happy to inform you that they are currently doing their documentation, while others are collecting their appointment letters. Indeed, His Excellency, Hon Mai Mala Buni, is working and Yobe is responding. As we face out the biometric of the 2,670 applicants employed, the next batch of 700 would move in for the same exercise.
Other employments include 315 teaching staff for SUBEB in 2020, 181 staff for STSCB in 2022, 102 Allied Health students in 2022, 55 Community Nurses for the ministry of health in 2022, 12 Nurses, 67 Midwives, all in 2022. Other employments also in 2022 include 400 teaching and non teaching staff, 46 Joint Health Technicians, 100 NCE holders for TSB, 36 staff for COA/Gujba, 57 Veterinary Medical Students and 126 staff for the YEMABUS agency, among others.
These employments, approved by His Excellency, Hon Mai Mala Buni, the people’s governor, will go a long way in enhancing the living standards and livelihoods of the beneficiaries and their dependents.
Earlier this year, former President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned one of the largest Maternal and Child Healthcare Complex in Damaturu. How about the professional staff that will man the facility?
The newly constructed complex located at the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital Damaturu is, for sure, one of the largest Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospitals in Nigeria.
Lucky enough, His Excellency, Hon Mai Mala Buni, has approved the employment of 373 healthcare personnel of different professions, including consultants of different specialties to man the newly established maternal and child hospital named after the late governor, Senator Mamman Bello Ali. Furthermore, Yobe Ambulance services and Yobe Healthcare Regulatory agencies were also established recently. His Excellency has also approved the employment of personnel to those agencies. This is in addition to the deployment of some professional staff to the two organisations for mentorship of the newly employed staff.
The truth is, Governor Buni considers the issue of manpower development in Yobe state with all seriousness. For instance, in the health sector, a lot of health and allied workers, medical doctors, nurses, among others, have been employed by this government, all with the view to ensuring that healthcare services are brought to the door steps of the common man in Yobe State. As a matter of fact, Governor Buni is a man with a human heart and his government is humane because this kind of magnanimity that he has shown to the people of Yobe State is unprecedented.
How about the payment of workers’ salary, pension and gratuity?
Here in Yobe, His Excellency has been doing everything humanly possible to ensure that salaries of all civil servants are paid as at when due and everyone is a living witness to that. He ensures that both salaries and gratuities of retirees are computed and paid accordingly.
Is there any plan to train the newly employed staff before posting?
His Excellency has directed that immediately after the completion of the biometric data capture exercise, there should be a special training for all of them. We have resolved to take them to the Public Service Institute of Nigeria in Abuja, while others will be trained at the National Teachers’ Institute, or even send them to Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) for better results.
On training and retraining, just last month, Governor Buni approved funds, and 76 senior, middle and junior level staff were sent to ASCON. We have trained several staff ranging from the directorate to middle and junior cadres at reputable training institutes across the state. This is geared towards acquainting them with requisite knowledge that will translate government’s policies and programmes into action.
Looking at the dwindling economic situation in the country, does the government have enough to cater for salaries of the newly employed staff?
You see, the administration of His Excellency, Hon Mai Mala Buni, is always proactive and, therefore, it is very hard for it to do anything without proper planning. There are enough resources to cater for the newly employed personnel. Because of His Excellency, Hon. Mai Mala Buni’s passion for human capital development, the National headquarters of the Nigeria Civil Service Union presented him with an award of the pillar of modern Yobe as far as human capital development is concerned.
Similarly, there is no way civil service can work effectively and efficiently without a harmonious working relationship with labour unions.
It is against this background that the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour studies (MINILS) Ilorin in Kwara state confered His Excellency, with the fellow of the National Labour Institute (fnls) because of his robust action plans on labour matters and workers’ welfare since his assumption of office as the democratically elected governor of Yobe state.
I would like to conclude by saying that the people of Yobe State are quite lucky to have a kind hearted and humane leader whose passion is to ensure good governance, effective service delivery, transparency, accountability and prudent financial management.
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