Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has officially inaugurated Yakubu Sani Haidara as the new Head of the Civil Service, alongside 12 newly appointed permanent secretaries.
According to a statement released on Friday by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the swearing-in ceremony was held at the Old Chamber of the Government House in Gusau.
Governor Lawal emphasized that Haidara’s appointment was based on merit, recognizing his extensive experience spanning over three decades in public administration.
“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 remarked.
The governor tasked Haidara with spearheading civil service reforms to enhance efficiency and responsiveness.
“As the Head of Service, you are responsible for driving the ongoing public service reforms initiated by this administration,” he stated. “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 shed light on the rigorous selection process for the new permanent secretaries, which included a refresher course, written exams, oral interviews, and ICT-based assessments 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 explained.
He urged the newly appointed officials to execute their responsibilities with diligence, aligning their efforts 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,” he stated.
In a significant move, the governor also announced the establishment of a new office—the Coordinator of Donor Activities and Programmes—under the Office of the Executive Governor.
This newly created position, to be held by a permanent secretary, will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating donor and development partner initiatives in collaboration with key government 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.
