The Nation Newspaper

Tag: political appointees

  • Ikpeazu sacks political appointees

    As part of the efforts of the incumbent governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to constitute a new set of people that would form part of his yet-to-be inaugurated government, Ikpeazu on Saturday announced the dissolution of all political appointees.

    According to a release by the permanent secretary of government house, Elder Bernard Ogbonna, those serving in the office of the Deputy Governor and Wife of the Governor are also affected by the order.

    Ikpeazu also directed Commissioners, Secretary to State Government, his Secretary, the Deputy Chief of Staff (both Governor and Deputy Governor) and the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to continue to perform their official duties till further notice.

    Ikpeazu while thanking all the political appointees for their contributions to the success of his administration in the past four years assured that their contributions to the making of a more progressive Abia would never be forgotten.

    The release further disclosed that Ikpeazu also dissolved the board of Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB).

    The members of the board were equally directed members of the board to immediately hand over to the most senior staff in the board.

    READ ALSO: Ikpeazu to Abia workers: we’ll pay your salaries promptly

    The release read, “Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has approved the immediate dissolution of the body of appointees to the Governor, including Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants and Technical Officers..

    “The Governor also directs that Commissioners, Secretary to State Government, Principal Secretary to the Governor, Deputy Chief of Staff (office of Governor and Deputy Governor) and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor continue to perform their official duties till further notice.

    “He wishes to express profound appreciation to all those who contributed to the success of his administration in the past four years and assures that their contributions to the making of a more progressive Abia would never be forgotten”.

    However sources within the Abia State Government House disclosed that there has been intense lobbying among the outgoing political appointees who are seeking for reappointment as party members and close associates to the governor who felt sidelined in the first four years of the Ikpeazu led administration are equally hoping that they would be appointed to one political position as they claimed to have vigorously worked for the reelection of Ikpeazu at the just concluded polls.

  • EKITI: POLITICAL ASSOCIATES SHUN FAYOSE’S FAREWELL DINNER

    •Food, drinks wasted

    Loyalists, political appointees, aides, party faithful and supporters of outgoing Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose at the weekend shunned a farewell dinner in his honour at the Government House, Ado-Ekiti.

    The failed dinner was one of the week- long activities to mark the end of Fayose’s tenure.

    Governor-Elect Dr Kayode Fayemi will be inaugurated on Tuesday at Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, Ado-Ekiti.

    The dinner was ruined with empty seats, wasted food and drinks. Less than 20 of the expected guests attended the event slated to commence by 7pm as at 12midnight.

    Only journalists, armed security men, protocol officers and a musical team contracted to perform at the ceremony were on seat as at 11pm.

    Conspicuously absent at the valedictory dinner were members of the House of Assembly, commissioners, political appointees and loyal Permanent Secretaries.

    Their absence led to wastage of food and drinks meant for entertainment.

    A Government House source disclosed that many of those invited were agitated over one issue or the other.

    The source, who craved anonymity, disclosed aside from the governor who paid himself and his deputy lump sums as severance package, including parting vehicles, none of the remaining appointees was paid a dime.

    “Besides, all the 16 Local Government chairmen are battling to save their jobs in the court, as information was rife on Friday that the incoming governor had concluded arrangement to dissolve the councils anytime soon after his swearing-in on Tuesday.

    “The comment of the governor earlier in the day also sounded shocking to most political appointees when he told them that whatever that anyone of them may likely encounter in the hands of the new governor should be taken calmly as such was a prize of leadership.

    Commenting on the development, one of the personal domestic steffers of the outgoing governor, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was not in any way disappointed by the attitude of absent guests.

    He recalled when Fayose was still very much in power, thousands would always answer his call at the slightest notice, such that the venue of any event organized by him was always overcrowded.

    A political appointee who spoke in confidence said: “How do you expect me at such a dinner?

    “Fayose only took care of himself and family, he did not take care of us because majority of us who served under him are suffering.

    “As I am talking you, he had not paid our severance allowance and his owing us many allowances. He denied us opportunities to assist people in our constituencies. That is why I and a good number of my colleagues shunned the so-called dinner.” Before the failed dinner, the governor handed over the instruments of office to the Head of Service, Dr. Gbenga Faseluka.

    He surrendered the handover note to Faseluka at a special valedictory State Executive Council meeting at the new Governor’s Office in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    Fayose said history would be kind to him the way he managed the resources in trust for the people of the state.

    He said he would be available to answer questions on how he ruled the state anytime he was called upon to do so.

     

  • FCT minister appoints secretaries, political appointees

    The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, has announced the appointment of mandate secretaries and political appointees into positions in Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

    He said the appointments followed his commitment to reposition FCTA into a more robust and service-oriented administrative structure and enhance its operational capability.

    The secretaries are: Adamu Abubakar Bappah – Area Council Services, Nzekwe Stanley Ifeanyichukwu – Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Isa Maina – Education, Amanda Pam – Health and Human Services, Muhammad B. Umar – Legal Services, Oladimeji Ali Hassan – Social Development and Kayode Opeifa  – Transportation.

    A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister, Cosmas Uzodinma, said the coordinators of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council and Satellite Town Development Department are Umar Shuaibu and Isiyaku Tanko Yamawo.

    The Managing Director, Abuja Broadcasting Services, is Ibrahim Damisa.

    The list of political aides includes: Mohammad Bashir Mai-Bornu – Chief of Staff, Dr. Bala Mohammed Liman – Senior Special Assistant, Finance and Economic Matters, Olafusi Emmanuel Tosin Esq – Senior Special Assistant Legal and Multi-lateral Cooperation and Abubakar Muh’d Abdullahi – Senior Special Assistant, ICT.

    The following advisers on Community Relations have been appointed; they are Chika Alexander Nwatu, Abu Zarr Sulaiman Ribadu and Isa Dara Bwari.

    The minister said the appointments are as provided by sections of the Federal Capital Territory (Establishment of Functionaries and Departments) and Ministry of Federal Capital Territory (Dissolution) Order No. 1, 2004 as modified.

    They are premised on the desire and commitment of the administration to ensure quality service delivery, particularly social services to Federal Capital Territory residents.

    The appointments take immediate effect, while arrangement for swearing-in will be announced later.

     

  • APC to Sagay, political appointees: stop making enemies for Buhari

    APC to Sagay, political appointees: stop making enemies for Buhari

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked all those appointed into positions by President Muhammadu Buhari to stop making enemies for him.

    In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the statement credited to the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay, that the National Assembly should withdraw the invitation extended to him was regrettable.

    According to the party, such statements could complicate the relationship between the Executive and Legislative arms of government.

    The party restated its earlier position admonishing all elected or appointed officials of government to desist from making utterances that may endanger efforts to build a harmonious relationship between the two arms of government.

    The statement reads: “In furtherance of the APC efforts to resolve the rift between the Executive and the National Assembly, the APC urges all government appointees to stop making statements that may further worsen the relationship between the two arms of government and derail the party’s effort to make peace.

    “Specifically, the party urges Prof. Sagay (SAN) to exercise restraint and desist from making utterances that may be misconstrued as an attack on the institution of the National Assembly.

    “The party acknowledges the fatherly role being played by President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve outstanding issues with the National Assembly, by setting up a high-level committee led by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

    “We believe the comments attributed to Prof. Sagay are uncalled for, regrettable and could further complicate the relationship between these vital arms of government.

    “Our expectation would be that as a Law Professor of repute, Prof. Sagay would appreciate the need to not denigrate the institutions of democracy, be it the Executive, Legislature or Judiciary.

    “Moreover, as an appointee of Mr. President, we should expect the learned Professor to key into his principal’s temper and help him to make friends that would make his job easier and not make enemies of people who, by virtue of the positions they occupy under our law, are critical to the running of government and the nurturing of our democracy.”

    The statement objected to Sagay’s call on the Senate to withdraw invitation extended to him.

    “As someone appointed by our government, we find this kind of posturing unacceptable and potentially injurious to the peace efforts by the party.

    “The party wishes to reiterate its earlier position admonishing all elected or appointed officials of our government to desist from utterances that may endanger efforts to build harmonious relationship between the two arms of government. Prof. Sagay should not operate outside this admonition.

    “The party expresses happiness with the meeting it had with the Senate Caucus on Tuesday and is confident that all the issues raised will be addressed. It also urges the National Assembly to further intensify its efforts to ensure timely passage of the 2017 National Budget.”

  • Oyo slashes salaries of political appointees

    Oyo slashes salaries of political appointees

    Oyo state government has announced the immediate slash of salaries and entitlement of all political appointees in the state by 50 per cent owing to the prevailing economic situation in the state.

    The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Olalekan Alli disclosed who stated this while addressing journalist at the state secretariat, Ibadan, said the slash will begin with immediate effect.

    “The slash in salary is for all political appointees starting from the Governor, Deputy Governor, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Senior Special Adviser, among others. This was approved by the ‎governor along with his cabinet members at the last executive members meeting. This will also include slash in government expense profile, and compensation of political appointees.”  he said

    Alli while noting that even the Governor would not be excluded from the slash expressed hope that the restructuring exercise and effort of the state government to block all loopholes would impact positively on the state Internally Generated Revenue.

    The SSG also disclosed that the state government had almost completed a ten thousand metric tonnes of Silo at Oyo town, with the intention of replicating same across all senatorial districts in the state, to guarantee food security for citizenry.

    While noting that current verification exercise to restructure the civil service has reviewed several anomalies in the system, Alli assured that government would not relent in addressing all systemic anomalies while maintaining cordial relationship with the state labour union.

     

  • FCT minister and political appointees

    FCT minister and political appointees

    SIR: Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello recently came under hard knocks over his perceived unwillingness to appoint political heads for the various agencies and departments under the FCT Administration. The minister was specifically accused of running a one-man-show in the FCT, with the authors saying the state of affairs had taken a plunge, following the absence of these political heads.

    In all honesty, one would say this paradigm shift being introduced by Bello is one that actually deserves commendation and not criticism because this  is what Nigerians have been yearning for both in the FCTA and other government institutions. The reality is the world over, governments have always been run by the civil servants. For instance, Britain had a referendum a few months back where a new Prime Minister came in through the front door and the old Prime Minister went out through the backdoor. But the British government was working.

    As it is in the FCTA, all the secretariats are now headed by civil servants working day in day out. If these offices have no officials, of course the city would have been grounded to a halt by now. The lady handling the education secretariat, for instance is one of the most experienced public servants in the FCT. Under her purview, the FCTA has been able to identify 500 substandard schools that are not meant to be there as was widely reported. Under her purview also, 72 teachers were trained recently to handle the Nigeria/Korea Model School in Abuja. Under her purview, 30 teachers will be going to Korea this summer for additional training. All these will translate into better school services and at the end of the day also, better scores during WAEC and NECO. So, for somebody to write and say that the minister has not appointed an education secretary, quite frankly, what secretary again do we need?

    If the truth must be told, we are in the era of change and I think it is very paramount for us in this country to develop and strengthen our institutions. So, let us not go back to this idea of everything tied to individuals.

    The running of the FCT is not done by the minister. The minister just gives guidance based on the policy of the party, the policy of the President and the objective of the government. But institutions are the ones that run and if you personalize government based on individuals, then you see individuals come in with their retinue of aides, political appointees and the civil servants just fold their arms and watch and at the end of the day, the minister’s tenure ends, he packs his aides and the political appointees and moves on and there is no institutional memory. That’s why at the end of the day, each government comes trying to solve the same problems.

     

    • DanladiAkilu,

    Gudu District, Abuja