Niger state government has demoted 12 permanent secretaries and sent 10 others on compulsory retirement in a civil service reform announced by the Head of Service (HoS), Alhaji Mohammed Maude Lapai, yesterday in Minna. Lapai said in a press briefing that only 25 permanent secretaries out of the 54 inherited from past administration were retained, adding that seven others were re-assigned. According to him, government has also streamlined state ministries from 23 to 14, while the state Planning Commission was upgraded to the status of a ministry. “As a palliative measure to local government areas whose permanent secretaries could not make the list of selected permanent secretaries, former permanent secretaries will be posted to head certain parastatal in order to continue to benefit from their administrative skills and wealth of experience,” he said. Lapai said the exercise was not meant to witch-hunt anybody, adding that those who were retired would receive all benefits, including monthly payment of their basic salaries, in accordance with the law. “As you all know, reforms of any kind usually come with some pains. It is, however, important to appreciate that given the expected future outcome of this exercise, which is good governance, prudent management of state resources for improved quality of life of the citizenry; we should all be ready and willing to make the supreme sacrifice as it affects us.” He said government would correct the seeming imbalance in the appointment of the permanent secretaries in future, adding that all local government areas in the state would eventually produce a permanent secretary. “The issue of local government balance will also continue to receive due consideration so as to achieve one permanent secretary per local government.”
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