Musa Na Allah Sokoto
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership.
The civil servants are charged with the responsibilities of implementing government policies and programs while upholding honesty, integrity, impartiality and objectivity as expected standard behavior.
Since the returned to democracy in Sokoto State, successive governments have put in their best to improve the system through sustained appointments, promotions, training, welfare packages and payments of running costs to Ministry, Department and Agencies (MDAs).
In the last three years, the civil service sector in Sokoto have witnessed vacant positions of over 14 permanent secretaries (PS) owing to either retirement or death without replacement, thereby hindering the delivery of civil services to some extent.
Investigations by Stallion Times revealed that, the retired PS have either spent 35 years in service or the mandatory retirement age of 60.
Why they retired PS were not replaced by the senior directors in the agencies by the Head of Service (HoS) through appointments or promotion is the BIG question.
Speaking to our correspondent on anonymous conditions, some concerned senior civil servants appealed to the office of the HoS to hasten the replacement of retired PS and Directors General (DG) in the affected MDAs with a view to reposition the sector.
The absence of PSs and DGs in MDAs is jeopardizing the smooth operations of implementing government policies, programs and activities.
Some of the affected MDAs with vacant positions for PSs according investigation includes the state Ministry of Agriculture, Animal health, Works and Transport, Careers and Security Matters, Religious Affairs, Budget and Economic Planning, Establishment and Ministry of Health.
Others are Ministry of Commerce, Culture and Tourism, Energy, Water Resources, Social Welfare and Sultanate Council.
There is also similar vacancy for DGs and Directors at Teachers Service Board, SOCHEMA, NGOs and Youth Empowerment among others.
When contacted, the HoS, Malam Abubakar Muhammad said in all the ministries where there are no substantive PS or Director General, there is someone who is on acting capacity and can perform all the functions.
Muhammad further said arrangements are on top gear to appoint new PSs and DGs as well as Directors to fill all the existing vacancies.
The absence of two key or three PS would not in any way jeopardize government activities in the state, he added.
Experts say career and growth in the civil service should be guided by excellence and merit devoid of politics.
