After keeping people of the State in suspense for many days since his inauguration last Wednesday 29th May, 2019, Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya has made his first set of appointments with the announcement of Professor Ibrahim Njodi, the immediate past Vice Chancellor of University of Maiduguri as Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
The also approved appointment of 11 others as contained in a statement signed by the Director Administration and Finance Government House Gombe, Mohammed Umar copies of which was made available to newsmen in Gombe on Sunday evening.
The statement contained the names of Bappayo Yahaya as the new Head of Civil Service (HOCS), Mohammed Kabir Usman Kukandaka as Chief of Staff (COS), Usman Mamman Kamara as Principal Private Secretary (PPS), and Ismaila Uba Misilli who is to serve as the Senior Special Assistant, Media & Publicity to the Governor.
Others appointed are Kabiru Ibn Mohammad Special Assistant ,Sulaiman Musa (Arzoo), Bintu Aliyu Sunmonu, Jack A. Tasha all to serve as Special Assistants (Media) while Musa Habibu (Bushasha) and Yakubu Ibrahim Sarki are to serve as Special Assistants (Protocol), and Sani Garba (Sani P.A) Special Assistant.
The statement added that all the appointments take immediate effect in order to facilitate the immediate take-off of the APC led administration in the state.
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People of the state had against expectations of many political faithfuls, had become agitated as the Governor shocked many of them for keeping silence over the appointment of some key Government positions for immediate take-off of the administration shortly after taken over the mantle of leadership in the State as is the tradition.
Contrary to the expectations of many who had thronged the Pantami Stadium in Gombe on Wednesday to witness the ushering in of a new administration in the State and eager to know those that will work closely with the new Governor, some of them expressed disappointment when the Governor concluded his inaugural speech without announcing some of the key Government positions.
According to some residents of Gombe who spoke to our Correspondent, they had expected the Governor to at least appoint his Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief of Staff (CoS), Chief Press Secretary (CPS) and other functionaries who will drive the administration with him.
Some of those who spoke opined that the Governor had enough time since the announcement of his victory on March 10th, 2019 to decide or make consultations about who he would appoint to these sensitive positions who are regarded as the engine room of any administration.
According to an excited resident, Garba Mohammed who spoke to our correspondent at the stadium during the inauguration, “even though the Governor has his constitutional mandate and time to make appointments, what we have witnessed in Gombe in the past is that these appointments are made in the Governor’s inaugural speech.”
All efforts to get the reaction of the Government proved abortive as the Governor was un-accessible and all those working in different committees set up by the Governor for the purpose of the inauguration refused to comment claiming that they are not authorized to speak to the press on such matters.
However, some pronouncements made by the Governor that attracted thunderous applause were the dissolution of the Eleven Local Government Council Chairmen in the state.
According to the Governor, “as part of the resolve to re-engineer the Local Governments for purposeful service delivery, we shall take appropriate steps to ensure Local Government elections are conducted to usher in elected chairmen and councilors at the earliest appropriate time in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
“In the mean time, in order to avoid any vacuum, Secretaries of Local Government Councils are hereby directed to take charge of the affairs of their respective local governments”, he directed.
Another pronouncement that attracted a loud ovation was the suspension of all appointments and contracts made by the immediate past Ibrahim Dankwambo led PDP administration a little over two months to the end of his administration.
Inuwa Yahaya declared that “we are equally aware of the reckless award of contracts embarked upon recently. We have also been alerted on the massive illegal disposals of government properties. We know the irresponsible carving out, allocations and sale of plots of lands to cronies. We know of all the atrocities being committed. Be rest assured that we shall take steps to address all illegalities”.
“Perpetrators and illegal beneficiaries will be held to account. In the meantime, all appointments, contracts and allocations made or entered into by the State Government and local government councils from the 10th day of March 2019 to date are hereby suspended,” Governor Inuwa declared.
and then