The Kano State Government North Western Nigeria has inaugurated a 22-man committee to screen and write a report on the 10,800 personnel employed by the administration of the immediate past governor Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje towards the end of his tenure.
The Secretary to the State Government, Dr Baffa Bichi, who said the committee has three weeks to complete its assignment, stressed that they are mandated to ascertain whether the employment of the identified 10,800 workers by the immediate past administration followed due process.
He explained that the present administration had after its inauguration, inherited a number of challenges from the immediate past administration that had a spillover effect on the state’s polity.
He said the development adversely affected the payment of pensions, deduction of salaries as well as healthcare and educational services among others.
“The issue was the last-minute employment of over 10,000 civil servants without laid down rules and regulations governing employment into the civil service.
“Government viewed this as an anomaly and therefore resolved to set up a committee to study and review the entire process, with a view to determining whether or not the employment process was informed by the expressed manpower need and requirement of the affected Ministries, Departments, and Agencies or are just based on certain primordial considerations suggesting nepotism as alleged,” he said.
According to him, other mandates assigned to the committee include compiling the list of the already employed staff as well as establishing the financial implications on state finances and ascertaining whether budgetary provisions were adhered to.
“The committee should identify those already enlisted into the state payroll, sequel to their recruitment cum those that are yet to receive appointment letters following the stoppage of the exercise by the present government.”
The Chairman of the committee Umar Shehu Minjibir, said the committee said the committee will do its best according to the terms and conditions therein stated in the appointment letters without fear or favour.
“We will look at both sides, the government side, and the side of those civil servants who were employed by the immediate-past administration and make the necessary recommendations,” he said.
The 22-man committee with additional nine persons to serve as secretaries were divided into three panels to enable them work simultaneously and meet up with the stipulated time.
Emmanuel Ukoh
