Austerity: El-Rufai Slashes Ministries To 13, Fires 20 Permanent Secretaries

 

In line with his resolve to cut down on the cost of governance, Nasir El-Rufai, governor of Kaduna State, is pruning ministries in the state service from 19 to 13. To this end the governor has sacked 20 permanent secretaries.

 

Similarly,  El-Rufai,  has approved the appointment of Thomas Gyang as Special Adviser, Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit (BMPIU).

 

In a press statement signed by Samuel Aruwan, the special assistant to the governor on media and publicity, the sack is to streamline the number of ministries from 19 to a leaner 13 to free up resources to be used for providing schools, hospitals, roads and other public goods.

 

With this decision, the surviving ministries are Justice, Agriculture and Forestry, Commerce, Industry, Local Government and Chieftaincy, Youth, Sports and Culture, Environment and Natural Resources, Women Affairs and Spcial Development, Water Resources, Health and Human Resources, Education, Sceince and Technology, Budget and Planning, Finance, Works, Housing and Transport.

 

The government had at inception declared its resolve to cut costs, drive efficiency, improve service delivery, and restructure its agencies.

 

The statement said, “To ensure that the number of permanent secretaries is properly aligned with the new structure, there will be only 13 permanent secretaries for the 13 ministries”.

 

The statement said that, “five departments will be headed by permanent secretaries and they are the Public Service Office; the Bureau of Establishments; Political and Economic Affairs; Cabinet and Security Services and General Services. This will bring the total number of permanent secretaries in the civil service to 18.

 

“The governor has conveyed his appreciation for the services the departing permanent secretaries have offered the state, and he has wished them the best in their future endeavours.

 

“The retired permanent secretaries are, Isa Ismail, Information Zaria, Hassan Mohammed Deputy Governor’s Office Birnin-Gwari, Ben Maitamaki Chieftaincy Affairs Kudan, Abubakar S. Abdullahi Education Chikun.