Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule has sworn in five new permanent secretaries and the state Auditor-General, directing the appointees to uphold budgetary discipline and prudence in accordance with the administration’s core principles of accountability, transparency, and prudent resource management.
Governor Sule issued the directive during the swearing-in ceremony of five additional permanent secretaries, the state Auditor-General, and other newly appointed officials at the Government House on Friday.
The Governor stressed the importance of financial regulations and procurement in government operations, while also cautioning appointees that his administration has a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and is committed to allocating available resources towards executing government policies and programs aimed at socioeconomic development.
The inauguration ceremony saw the appointment of five permanent secretaries: Ibrahim Alhassan Adamu, Engineer Aliyu Ayitogo, Jafaru Yakubu Loko, Yarima Mari, and Yona Emmanuel. Additionally, Yusuf Sarki Iya was sworn in as State Auditor-General, while Abubakar Bala Yarima and Mukhtar Angbashim joined the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC) as permanent members. Umar Alhaji Muhammad took office as Director-General of the Nasarawa State Bureau for Public Procurement, and Abdullahi Adokwe Ladan became Commissioner of the Nasarawa State Boundary Commission.
The inauguration also saw Yakubu Auta Haruna assume the role of General Manager and Galadima David Musa, Town Planner, as Assistant General Manager of Greater Karu Development Control.
As part of his administration’s resolve to continue to reposition the state’s civil service for enhanced performance and higher productivity, Governor Sule said it has become necessary to appoint five additional permanent secretaries to fill the void created as a result of the recent retirement of some permanent secretaries.
“It is also a recognition of the fact that the civil service is the nerve centre of government activities,” he stated.
He explained that a new Auditor-General was appointed as part of his administration’s effort to ensure efficient conduct of public affairs through prudent management of material and human resources.
The Governor reaffirmed that his administration has sustained efforts to fortify processes and procedures, ensuring alignment with budgetary and financial management principles, and advancing its objective of value addition in public service delivery.
“Accordingly, the office of the Auditor-General of the state is expected to be maned by an experienced officer in order to assist government to achieve its objectives of prudent financial management. This has informed the decision to appoint a new Auditor General with a proven experience after successful retirement of the erstwhile state Auditor General,” he added.
He said that the appointment of two permanent members of the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC) became necessary in order to fill the vacancies created after the tenure of two previous commissioners expired.
“Let me point out that the appointment of the two permanent members to the commission will further strengthen the commission in its mandate of ensuring fairness, justice and equity in the discharge of their duties,” he stated.
The Governor pointed out that the two permanent members are coming in at a time that the NASIEC has scheduled to conduct the local government elections into the third tier of government on November 2, 2024.
He therefore called on the new appointees to join their colleagues at the commission in order to ensure seamless election exercise, especially as interested political parties are already conducting primaries to nominate flagbearers that will participate in the election.
Governor Sule said a new Director-General for the Nasarawa State Bureau for Public Procurement was also inaugurated as part of the commitment of his administration to further entrench due process and diligence in the execution of policies and programnes.
“As you maybe aware, since the establishment of the Bureau in the state, we have continued to witness sanity, transparency, accountability and prudent management of our commonwealth. To sustain this strive, we have appointed one of the directors of the Bureau as the DG immediately after the expiration of the tenure of the former DG,” he said.
He equally called on the new DG to live aboard board and to ensure that all MDAs of government comply with the provisions of the public procurement act in the execution of their programmes and projects.
The Govrrnor added that a Commissioner for the Nasarawa State Boundary Commission was appointed in order to sustain the efforts of the administration towards tackling issues relating to border conflicts and misunderstanding.
“As you are aware, the contiguous nature of Nasarawa State more than often, breads friction and hostilities between our border communities even between villages, towns and communities in the same local government area within the state.
“It’s for this reason that we have sustained our efforts at the political level to moderate our boundary misunderstanding with our neighboring states through high level bilateral discussions aimed at resolving these challenges,” he said.
According to him, by inaugurating the Commissioner, it is expected that he would not only further assist the state towards resolving some of these internal disputes, ensure the demarcation of the state’s boundary lines between local government areas and within local government areas where such issues exist, but also synergies and collaborate with the National Boundary Commission towards resolving long standing inter-city disputes which will ensure the demarcation of the state’s actual boundary with neighboring states.
The Governor noted also that the appointment of a General Manager and Assistant General Manager for the Greater Karu Development Control was aimed at providing greater services to the residents of Karu and its surrounding local government areas in view of its strategic location as a gateway to different parts of the country.
While congratulating the appointees, Governor Sule appreciated the presence of eminent personalities and friends, relations and well-wishers who attended the event.
“Indeed, your presence is a testimony of your continued partnership and support to our administration in our collective commitment to provide purposeful leadership,” he said.
Earlier, in an introductory remarks, Secretary to the Government of Nasarawa State, Barrister Mohammed Ubandoma Aliyu, used the opportunity of the event to reaffirm total commitment and unalloyed loyalty and support to the realization of the administration’s policies and programnes.
The SGNS while speaking on behalf of the appointees, said they have all subscribed to Governor Sule’s policy of transparency, accountability and prudent management of public resources.
Ibrahim Alhassan Adamu, one of the newly appointed permanent secretaries, delivered a vote of thanks, praising Governor Sule for entrusting them with the responsibility of serving Nasarawa State’s government and citizens.
Adamu reassured the Governor that the administration would undergo considerable reforms driven by the high-caliber expertise the appointees would contribute to their respective areas of responsibility.
