President Muhammadu Buhari has relieved Winifred Oyo-Ita of her duty as the
Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HoS).
A statement by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, confirmed that the president has
also approved the appointment of Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan as the acting HoS.
Oyo-Ita’s removal was in connection with an investigation into a N3 billion
scandal by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Bassey said Yemi-Esan, who was the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Petroleum Resources, has taken over from Oyo-Ita, who has been directed to
proceed on an indefinite leave to allow conclusion of the investigation being
carried out by the EFCC.
He said the president also approved the extension of the tenure of seven
retiring permanent secretaries for a period of one calendar year with effect
from October 1, 2019 to ensure stability in the Federal Civil Service and
effective delivery on the nine priority areas of the administration as well as
the mandates given to the new ministers.
The affected Permanent Secretaries are Georgina Ehuriah (Interior); Ifeoma
Anagbogu (Women Affairs); Grace Gekpe (Information & Culture); Dr. Umar
Bello (Agriculture & Rural Development); Suleiman Lawal (Foreign Affairs); Comfort
Ekaro (Water Resources); and Olusegun Adekunle (General Services Office, Office
of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation).
He said the president also directed the Office of the Head of the Civil
Service of the Federation to commence the process for the selection of new
permanent secretaries to replace all retiring ones.
The decision of government to extend the tenure of the seven permanent
secretaries, he said, was premised on the need to ensure that the new ministers
were properly guided, briefed about their sectors and to ensure that a solid
foundation was laid for the delivery on the presidential mandate, which they
jointly signed.
The action of the president, he said, was in exercise of the powers
conferred on him under Section 171 (2) d of the 1999 Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
