Buhari Taps Private Sector for Appointment of New Perm Secs, Retires 17 Others

Buhari Taps Private Sector for Appointment of New Perm Secs, Retires 17 Others
11 Nov 2015

 Ahead of today’s inauguration of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) where ministers will be sworn-in, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday approved the appointment of 18 new permanent secretaries in the Federal Civil Service, some of whom were recruited from the private sector signaling a departure from the past when directors in the civil service were promoted to the post of permanent secretaries.

 Key among the appointments included Mr. Louis Edozien and Dr. Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, two professionals with proven track records in the private sector before venturing into the public sector.

 Edozien, who was deployed to the Federal Ministry of Power, was before his appointment the Executive Director, Engineering & Technical of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), where he was responsible for the technical and project management of the federal government’s $8 billion investment in the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs).

 Armed with a combined Mathematics and Social Studies Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a Master’s of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in California, USA, Edozie has also variously worked as a consultant to the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and World Bank, for MTN and United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, and as an instructor at the Digital Bridge Institute, Abuja.

 Isa-Dutse, on the other hand, was appointed the new perm sec for the Federal Ministry of Finance.
 He brings to the table over 20 years banking experience, having worked from UBA from which he retired as an executive director in 2002, Savannah Bank of Nigeria Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Continental Merchant Bank Limited and Gamji Bank Limited.

 A graduate of Economics from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Isa-Dutse also has a Master’s in Business Administration from the Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania in the US and a PhD in Business Administration from the Manchester Business School in the UK.

 In addition to other non-executive appointments, Isa-Dutse currently sits on the boards of Access Bank Plc and Northern Nigeria Flour Mills Plc as a non-executive director.

 A statement by the president’s media aide, Mr Femi Adesina, said other new permanent secretaries are: Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba, Mr. Taiwo Abidogun, Dr. Bukar Hassan, Mrs. Wakama Belema Asifieka, Mr. Jalal Ahmad Arabi, Mr. Sabiu Zakari, Mrs. Obiageli Phyllis Nwokedi and Mr. Aminu Nabegu.

 Others are Mr. Bamgbose Olukunle Oladele, Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo, Dr. Shehu Ahmed, Mr. Ogbonnaya Innocent Kalu, Mrs. Nuratu Jimoh Batagarawa, Mr. Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa, Mr. Bassey Apkanyung and Dr. Ugo Roy

 The president also approved the deployment of the new and old permanent secretaries as follows: Dr. Shehu Ahmad - Federal Ministry of Agric & Rural Development; Mr. Sunday Echono - Federal Ministry of Communications; Alhaji Sabiu Zakari - Federal Ministry of Transportation; Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba - Federal Ministry of Information & Culture; Ambassador Danjuma Sheni - Federal Ministry of Defence; and Dr. Shade Yemi-Esan - Federal Ministry of Education.

 Other deployments included that of Mrs. Fatima Mede to the Budget & National Planning Ministry; Ambassador Bulus Lolo - Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Dr. Amina Shamaki - Federal Ministry of Health; Mr. Aliyu Bisalla - Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment; Mr. Bassey Akpanyung - Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs; Mr. Taiwo Abidogun - Federal Ministry of Justice; and Dr. Habiba Lawal - Federal Ministry of Science & Technology.

 In addition, Dr. Clement Illoh was deployed to the Federal Ministry of Labour & Productivity; Dr. Jamila Shu'ara - Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources; Mrs. Binta Bello - Federal Ministry of Women Affairs; Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye - Federal Capital Territory (FCT); Mrs. Rabi Jimeta - Federal Ministry of Water Resources; Dr. Bukar Hassan - Federal Ministry of Environment; Mrs. Wakama B. Asifieka - Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs; Mr. Istifanus Fuktur - Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals; Mr. Christian Ohaa - Federal Ministry of Youth & Sports; Mr. A.G. Magaji - Federal Ministry of Works & Housing; and Mr. Jalal Arabi - State House.

 Others affected by the deployment included Mr. Mohammed Bukar - General Services Office, OSGF; Mr. Abbas Mohammed - Ecological Fund Office, OSGF; Dr. Ugo Roy - Council Secretariat; Mr. Aminu Nabegu - Special Services Office, OSGF; Ambassador Bamgbose Akindele - Political Affairs Office, OSGF; Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo - Economic Affairs Office, OSGF; Mrs. Obiageli Nwokedi - Special Duties Office, OSGF; Mr. Innocent Ogbonnaya  - Career Management Office, OHCSF; Mr. S.K.Y. Adelakun - Common Services Office, OHCSF; and Mrs. N. Batagarawa - Service Policy & Strategies Office, OHCSF.

 Adesina said in the statement that the appointments and deployments were with effect from yesterday, November 10, 2015.
 Before the appointment of the new permanent secretaries and the deployment, the president earlier yesterday had met with them at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after which 17 of the permanent secretaries were informed of their retirement from the Federal Civil Service.

 They were led to a closed-door meeting with the president by the acting Head of Service, Mrs. Ekanem Oyo-Ita.
 Although their retirement was not announced officially, but one of the affected permanent secretaries who confided in THISDAY said that 17 of them had been shown the exit.

 The president had earlier received and met privately with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.