Governor swears in new Head of Service, 12 permanent secretaries
Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has sworn in Yakubu Sani Haidara as the new Head of the Civil Service, alongside 12 newly appointed permanent secretaries.
A statement issued on Friday by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said the swearing-in ceremony took place at the Old Chamber of the Government House in Gusau.
Lawal described Haidara as a seasoned bureaucrat with over three decades of administrative experience, stating that his appointment was based on merit and dedication to public service.
“Your appointment is in recognition of your capacity and commitment to public service. This new role presents an opportunity to apply your wealth of experience in repositioning the civil service for greater efficiency, productivity, and purposeful service delivery,” Lawal said.
The governor tasked Haidara with overseeing the state’s public service reforms, aimed at creating a more efficient and responsive system.
“As the Head of Service, you are responsible for driving the ongoing public service reforms initiated by this administration,” he added. “You are entrusted with supervising the permanent secretaries and the entire civil service to ensure that government policies and programmes are effectively formulated and implemented.”
Lawal also highlighted the rigorous selection process for the new permanent secretaries, which included an intensive refresher course, written examinations, oral interviews, and ICT-based tests conducted by the Public Service Institute of Nigeria.
“The decision to reform the appointment process for permanent secretaries in the state aligns with current standards of service and best practices. We believe that to reform the public service — which is central to policy formulation and implementation — competence and professionalism must be the top priority,” he said.
He urged the new permanent secretaries to carry out their duties diligently and align their actions with his administration’s six-point agenda.
“Having taken the oath of office, you should understand that your roles are critical to the successful implementation of our administration’s objectives. As accounting officers in your respective ministries, you must ensure that every policy and programme under your supervision contributes to delivering good governance to the people of Zamfara State,” Lawal stated.
In addition, the governor announced the establishment of a new office—the Coordinator of Donor Activities and Programmes—under the Office of the Executive Governor.
This office, to be headed by a permanent secretary, will oversee and coordinate all donor and development partner activities in collaboration with relevant ministries, departments, and agencies.
“The main role of the permanent secretary is to coordinate all activities of donor and development partners and programmes in conjunction with the implementing MDAs,” the statement added.
