Zamfara govt rejects new federal permanent secretary appointed by Tinubu

The Zamfara State Government has rejected the federal permanent secretary appointed by President Tinubu on Friday.

President Tinubu, on 28, June approved the appointment of Maryam Ismaila and seven others as permanent secretaries to fill existing and impending vacancies of some states and geo-political zones in the top administrative cadre of the Civil Service of the Federation.

Presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement, said the appointees were selected after a diligent selection process by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

However, the Zamfars State government said Keshinro Ismaila is not an indigene of the state and is also not qualified to hold the position.

The state’s Head of Service, Ahmad Liman, in an earlier letter in the selection process dated 24 May and addressed to the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, claimed that Mrs Ismaila is never an indigene of Zamfara State and cannot legally represent the people of the state, hence, must be dropped.

Rejection

The Zamfara government early in May wrote a letter of rejection to the selection committee asking them to drop Mrs Ismaila claiming that her selection caused uneasy calm in the state because she was not qualified to represent the state.

“Consequent upon the commencement of the appointment process of the Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service, issues arose that stirred the collective attention of the good people of Zamfara State as the par representative capacity of candidates deployed in the process, most especially the potential candidate pencilled for the appointment on the post of a permanent secretary purported from Zamfara State.

“The moves not only failed to meet the requirements provided under the eligibility criteria enshrined in the Public Service Rules (as revised) but also the requisite for the said post offends the content of a recent Federal Government Circular No. MH.7205/T/31 dated 7th September 2023, on Tenure policy respecting clinical Officers/Personnel since the potential candidate that wrongly claimed representation of the good people of Zamfara State is clinical personnel.

“It’s worthy of note to clarify from the onset, that the candidate infracted the key provision of Eligibility Criteria of the PSR, especially Rules 020811 (e) (f) which linked the requirements to indigeneship.

“For all purposes and intendment, the candidate is never an indigene of Zamfara State and would not legally claim or enjoy representation for the sake of the good people of Zamfara State. Furthermore, no purported documentation in that respect will legally qualify her to be a bonafide indigene of Zamfara State”, the letter stated.

The letter added that the state was unfairly treated at federal level and the appointment of Mrs Ismaila would be a continuation of the long cry of marginalisation of the state state in terms of representation at the federal level.

“Secondly, the circular cited above haplessly deprived the candidate of taking undue advantage of representation of the good people of Zamfara State, most especially the Federal Civil Servants of Zamfara extraction, since the candidate is a clinical officer/personnel exempted from tenure policy. Thus, could not legally vie for the post of a permanent secretary in the Federal Civil Service by the extant circular.

“It’s against, this background, that I am therefore, directed to appeal to the collective conscience of the offices of the Head of the Federation and indeed all critical stakeholders to drop the candidacy of MARYAM IBRAHIM ALIYU or by whatever name called (Keshinro Maryam Ismaila) for the post of a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service in representation for the good people of Zamfara State to allow bonafide indigene of Zamfara extraction in the Federal Civil Service to legally and positively compete for the post.

“Lest, we may recover from being the least represented state in the Federal Civil Service and at the same time seek the satisfaction of the Constitutional requirements enshrined in section 14 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, the state government said.

According to her LinkedIn page, the new appointee is an experienced paediatrician with over two decades of experience in medical practice at different levels with a keen interest in “Preventive Paediatrics and skilled in Childhood infectious diseases, Nutrition and Development.”

She holds a master’s degree in science (Public Health) focused on Health System Policy and Management from KIT Royal Tropical Institute/VU, Amsterdam.

Before the latest appointment, she was a consultant Paediatrician/Director State House Clinic; Consultant Paediatrician, at Kaduna State Health Management Board; Consultant Paediatrician, at Hajiya Gambo Sawaba General Hospital Zaria, Full-time from June 2009 to December 2010, Central Facilitor, Tofa Local Government Area, Kano State, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) Part-time from June 2000 to June 2001.

Even though the Zamfara State government claimed that Mrs Ismaila is not from the state, PREMIUM TIMES understands that she is from Tsafe Local Government Area of the state.

Both her grandparents were born to a popular Christian family in Tsafe town.

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Residents said the Keshinro appearing in her name is her husband’s name, who is Yoruba.

Mrs Ismaila’s late parents were Christians from the Hausa minority Christians found in Tsafe LGA. Her late father was an ECWA church pastor and was a very popular clergyman.

Residents said Issues of indigeneship could not be the reason the State government is rejecting Mrs Ismaila’s appointment because the state governor, Dauda Lawal, since assuming office over a year ago has appointed into his government at least six persons who are not from Zamfara but are his political closest allies.