In line with federal government’s promise to cut down the cost of governance in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday merged the federal ministries to 25, retired 16 permanent secretaries and approved the appointment of 18 new ones.

He also deployed 36 permanent secretaries in various ministries.

Buhari had met with the affected permanent secretaries in company of his chief of staff, Abba Kyari, and the head of service of the federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, at the presidential villa yesterday afternoon to announce the reorganisation of the Federal Civil Service, where he directed 16 permanent secretaries to proceed on compulsory retirement.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the affected permanent secretaries may include those of Power, Petroleum, Finance, Defence, Housing, Transport and Urban Development and Special Duties.

Their retirement is a follow-up to the recent appointment of a new head of service, Mrs Oyo-Ita, who is their junior.

Although, no reason was given for the mass retirements; however, it was gathered from a reliable source at the office of the head of the service, who preferred anonymity, that the action of President Buhari followed recent the appointment of Mrs. Oyo-Ita as the head of the civil service of the federation.

The source state that the new head of service is low in the hierarchy of the permanent secretaries and the retirement of her seniors was intended to avoid any awkward situation in which they will have to be taking orders from her.

In a statement by the director of information, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), Haruna Imrana, yesterday, Buhari ordered the 16 permanent secretaries to proceed on compulsory retirement.

According to the statement, the order was given to the permanent secretaries at a meeting held at the presidential villa yesterday where Buhari expressed gratitude to the permanent secretaries for their meritorious service to the nation.

He stated that the new development was in line with the effort of the federal government to re-engineer the Federal Civil Service towards greater efficiency and effective service delivery.

When asked for the names of ministries and permanent secretaries affected by the reorganisation, Imrana said that a comprehensive statement would be issued later on in that regard.

The names of the new 18 permanent secretaries appointed by President Buhari are: Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba, Alhaji Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, Mr. Taiwo Abidogun, Dr. Bukar Hassan, Mrs. Wakama Belema Asifieka, Mr. Jalal Ahmad Arabi, Mr. Sabiu Zakari, Mrs. Obiageli Phyllis Nwokedi, Mr. Aminu Nabegu,

Mr. Bamgbose Olukunle Oladele, Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo, Dr. Shehu Ahmed, Mr. Ogbonnaya Innocent Kalu, Mrs. Nuratu Jimoh Batagarawa, Mr. Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa, Mr. Bassey Akpanyung, Mr. Louis Edozie and Dr. Ugo Roy.

Also, the deployed permanent secretaries to the merged federal ministries are: Dr. Shehu Ahmad, Agric & Rural Development; Arch Sunday Echono, Communications; Alhaji Sabiu Zakari, Transportation, Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba, Information & Culture; Amb. Danjuma Sheni, Defence; Dr. Shade Yemi-Esan; Education.

Others are Mrs. Fatima Mede, Budget & National Planning; Alhaji Mahmoud Isa Dutse, Finance; Amb. Bulus Lolo, Foreign Affairs; Dr. Amina Shamaki, Health; Mr. Aliyu Bisalla, Industry, Trade & Investment; Mr. Bassey Akpanyung, Internal Affairs; Mr. Taiwo Abidogun, Justice; Dr. Habiba Lawal, Science & Tech.; Dr. Clement Illoh, Labour & Productivity; Dr. Jamila Shu’ara, Petroleum Resources; Mrs. Binta Bello, Women Affairs; Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye, Federal Capital Territory; Mrs. Rabi Jimeta, Water Resources; Dr. Bukar Hassan, Environment; Mrs. Wakama B. Asifieka, Niger Delta Affairs; Mr. Istifanus Fuktur, Solid Minerals; Mr. Christian Ohaa, Youth & Sports; and Engr. A.G. Magaji, Works & Housing.

The rest are Mr. Louis Edozien, Power; Mr. Jalal Arabi, State House; Mr. Mohammed Bukar, General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF); Mr. Abbas Mohammed, Ecological Fund Office, OSGF; Dr. Ugo Roy, Council Secretariat; Mr. Aminu Nabegu, Special Services Office, OSGF; Amb. Bamgbose Akindele, Political Affairs Office, OSGF; Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo, Economic Affairs Office, OSGF; Mrs. Obiageli Nwokedi, Special Duties Office, OSGF; Mr. Innocent Ogbonnaya, Career Management Office, OHCSF; Mr. S.K.Y. Adelakun, Common Services Office, OHCSF, and Mrs. N. Batagarawa , Service Policy & Strategies Office, OHCSF

The new appointments and deployments took effect from yesterday.


Source :http://leadership.ng/news/473600/pmb-merges-ministries-retires-16-perm-secs