Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu, has sworn in Musa Garba Kuchi as the new chairman of Kebbe Local Council following the death of the elected chairman, Abdullahi Yarima, who passed away a few months after his election.
The governor charged Kuchi to be accessible, honest, sincere and God-fearing, and to always reside within the local government area in order to serve the people effectively.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony, Governor Aliyu noted that Kebbe Local Council is among the areas facing security challenges and urged the new chairman to work closely with security agencies by holding regular security meetings to improve safety in the area.
Also sworn in were the State Head of Civil Service, Abdulkadir Ahmed Mohamed, five Special Advisers and twelve Permanent Secretaries.
The governor urged the new Head of Service to redouble efforts to restore the lost glory of the state civil service by promoting discipline, commitment, dedication and punctuality among civil servants. He said the service requires rejuvenation and strict discipline, and tasked him with improving productivity through enhanced work ethics and punctuality.
According to the governor, the administration has been prompt in the payment of salaries, gratuities and pensions, and has restored the payment of imprest to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs),as part of efforts to boost workers’ morale.
He reassured civil servants of the government’s commitment to their welfare by providing a conducive working environment that would ensure efficiency and productivity.
Governor Aliyu called for a harmonious working relationship between Special Advisers and Permanent Secretaries, explaining that while Special Advisers serve as political heads of their assignments, Permanent Secretaries are the administrative heads of their MDAs.
“It is important to note that this position makes Permanent Secretaries indispensable to the success of any administration,” he said.
He added that all appointments were based strictly on merit and urged the appointees to conduct themselves with integrity and professionalism in pursuit of the administration’s vision of a prosperous and renewed Sokoto State.
“As heads of your MDAs and accounting officers in your respective places of assignment, a lot is expected from you. You must ensure transparency, accountability and good governance at all levels of your operations. Proper record-keeping must be maintained to leave behind a credible system,” the governor warned.
Governor Aliyu further charged the appointees to be dedicated, committed and hardworking, stressing that prudence in the management of public resources must not be compromised.
“This administration has zero tolerance for corruption. You must operate with transparency and accountability and, above all, allow the fear of Allah to guide your actions,” he stated.
He recalled that on assuming office, the state was owing pensioners gratuities running into billions of naira, but said the situation has improved significantly.
“Alhamdulillah, those challenges are now becoming history. Salaries are now paid between the 19th and 20th of every month, cash allocations have been restored, and the payment of accumulated gratuity arrears is progressing steadily,” he added.
The governor also called on civil servants to remain dedicated and committed to their duties to enable the administration to achieve its vision of a new Sokoto State.
Those sworn in as Special Advisers are Umar Babuga Oro, Faruku Labbo, Zainab Umar Dasuki, Kamaludden Abubakar, Lemi Bashir and Haliru Dogon Daji.
The Permanent Secretaries sworn in are Isma’ila Ibrahim, Aliyu Ladan Isa, Aminu Bello, Abubakar Alhaji Ni’ima Hassan, Almustafa Sayudi, Aminu Abubakar Rijiya, Lema Sambo Wali, Kabiru Garba, Abubakar Moh’d Bello, Kabiru Labaran and Sanusi Aliyu Binji.
