Gov Yahaya Swears-in 19 Permanent Secretaries, Sets Stage for Massive Civil Service Recruitment

Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has appointed 19 new Permanent Secretaries in a ceremony held at the International Conference Centre, marking the largest single appointment of such officials in the state's history. This move, part of a broader effort to bolster the civil service's capacity, brings the total number of Permanent Secretaries under Yahaya's administration to 55 over the past seven and a half years.

Governor Yahaya emphasized the need to address manpower gaps and build a professional civil service capable of sustaining development after his tenure, scheduled for May 29, 2027. Furthermore, the governor revealed that his administration is preparing for a large-scale recruitment drive into the state civil service, following the implementation of a biometric verification system.

This system has not only proven useful in providing accurate workforce data and tackling ghost workers but also saved the state billions of naira. To ensure the new appointments are qualified, the governor directed the Head of Civil Service to conduct a comprehensive manpower needs assessment across ministries, departments, and agencies.

The newly appointed Permanent Secretaries were selected based on merit, competence, and equitable representation, with some coming from outside the conventional civil service structure. Governor Yahaya urged the new officials to discharge their responsibilities with integrity, accountability, discipline, and diligence, warning against corruption, indiscipline, dishonesty, and abuse of office.

In a separate statement, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, praised Governor Yahaya's leadership for prioritizing professionalism, competence, accountability, and institutional development. Njodi assured the governor of the public service's commitment to supporting the reform agenda and development programs.

The new Permanent Secretaries, speaking on behalf of their group, expressed gratitude to the governor for their appointment and pledged to live up to the trust placed in them through their diligent, loyal, professional, and committed approach to public service.