Gombe: Gov Inuwa Swears In 19 Permanent Secretaries, Plans Fresh Recruitment

The Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has announced plans for fresh recruitment into the state civil service as his administration moves to fill manpower gaps before the end of his tenure.

The governor disclosed this on Thursday while swearing in 19 newly appointed Permanent Secretaries in the state, Naija News reports.

Yahaya said the latest appointments had increased the number of Permanent Secretaries appointed by his administration in the last seven years to 55.

He added that more than 100 directors had also been promoted into the senior administrative cadre of the state civil service during the period.

According to the governor, the appointments were part of efforts to strengthen the state’s institutions, address manpower shortages and build a professional civil service that could continue to support development beyond his administration.

Yahaya said the selection process was based on competence, merit and fair representation across the state.

He explained that senior directors from the 11 Local Government Areas of Gombe were considered, with their qualifications, experience and service records carefully reviewed before the appointments were made.

The governor said two of the new Permanent Secretaries were selected from outside the traditional state civil service structure.

He explained that one came from the Federal Civil Service, while the other was drawn from academia to bring additional administrative experience, institutional links and research-based ideas into the state civil service.

Yahaya urged the new Permanent Secretaries to regard their appointments as a responsibility to the people 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,” the Governor said.

He warned them against corruption, indiscipline and abuse of office.

“You should discharge your duties and responsibilities with integrity, accountability, discipline and diligence, as this administration would not tolerate corruption, indiscipline, dishonesty or abuse of office,” he said.

The governor said his administration would spend its remaining period consolidating its reforms, strengthening government institutions and ensuring that its achievements were sustained beyond May 2027.

Yahaya also revealed that plans were underway for a major recruitment exercise into the state civil service.

He said the government had first established an accurate manpower database through its biometric verification system to determine the actual number of workers in the service.

The governor said he had directed the Head of Civil Service to work with the State Civil Service Commission to carry out a detailed assessment of manpower needs across ministries, departments and agencies.

The exercise, he said, would identify vacancies and determine the number of workers needed before fresh recruitment begins.

Yahaya said the recruitment would take place before the expiration of his tenure on May 29, 2027.

The governor also defended the biometric attendance and verification system introduced by his administration, saying it had provided useful data on the state’s workforce despite the criticism it initially attracted.

According to him, the system has helped the government identify ghost workers and reduce absenteeism.

He said the accurate data generated through the exercise had also helped the state save billions of naira.