Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, has sworn in 19 newly appointed Permanent Secretaries, describing the exercise as the largest single appointment of Permanent Secretaries in the history of the state.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony held at the International Conference Centre, Gombe, the governor said the latest appointments had increased to 55, the number of Permanent Secretaries appointed by his administration over the past seven and a half years.
He added that more than 100 directors had also been elevated to the senior administrative cadre of the state civil service during the period.
Governor Yahaya said the appointments formed part of broader efforts to strengthen government institutions, address manpower shortages and build a professional civil service capable of sustaining development beyond the life of his administration.
The governor said he had directed the Head of Civil Service to work with the State Civil Service Commission to undertake a comprehensive manpower needs assessment across ministries, departments and agencies to identify existing gaps and determine the number of personnel required.
According to Governor Inuwa Yahaya, the biometric attendance and verification system, which attracted criticism when it was introduced, has since proved its value by providing reliable data on the state’s actual workforce.
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He noted that, since assuming office, his administration had made civil service reform and institutional strengthening a priority, citing the establishment of the Bureau for Public Service Reforms as another major intervention aimed at improving efficiency, accountability and service delivery.
Governor Yahaya also identified workers’ welfare as a central pillar of his administration’s civil service policy.
He cited the prompt payment of salaries, implementation of the minimum wage at both state and local government levels, regular promotions, and the payment of pension and gratuity liabilities as evidence of the government’s commitment to the welfare of workers and retirees.
On gratuity obligations, the governor disclosed that his administration had paid more than N33 billion in gratuities over the past seven and a half years, with about 70 per cent of the liabilities inherited from the previous administration.
He announced that another tranche of gratuity payments would be made before the end of September 2026 and expressed confidence that the outstanding backlog would be cleared by the first quarter of 2027.
He explained that senior directors from the state’s local government areas were considered, with their qualifications, experience and service records subjected to scrutiny. Written examinations were also conducted to assess candidates’ general knowledge and Information and Communication Technology competencies.
The governor added that two of the newly appointed Permanent Secretaries were drawn from outside the conventional state civil service structure l, one from the Federal Civil Service and another from academia, to bring additional administrative experience, institutional linkages and research-oriented perspectives to the state bureaucracy.
Governor Yahaya charged the new Permanent Secretaries to regard their appointments as a solemn responsibility rather than a personal achievement.
“You are the ambassadors of the civil service and of your respective communities. Your appointment is not a personal achievement alone; it is a trust reposed in you by the people of Gombe State,” Governor Yahaya said.
The Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya for what he described as purposeful leadership that had consistently prioritised professionalism, competence, accountability and institutional development.
He congratulated the new Permanent Secretaries and urged them to remain accessible, responsive and innovative in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Speaking on behalf of the newly appointed Permanent Secretaries, Musa Mohammed Babaji thanked the governor for the confidence reposed in them and pledged that the appointees would justify the trust through diligence, loyalty, professionalism and commitment to effective public service.
