……May down size ministries to 18.
Chima Azubuike, Gombe state.
Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya, has revealed how the state spends N2.5 billion to pay the salaries of about 67,000 staff who were said to be receiving salaries from more than one government agencies in the state.
Yahaya, stated this at the inauguration of civil service review committee yesterday. He explained that there are government workers who were originally employed in the local government service before their transfer to the state service, yet they continued to draw salaries from both services, some of whom were appointed as Personal Assistants and Special Assistants to the state governor.
He said “The transition committee had stated in its report the need to reform the civil service for a better service delivery, and when I assumed office I realized that the need was an urgent one”.
He added that the size and number of the ministries helps in embedding fraud and abnormalities in the critical sector.
“When we came in, what we found was a structure that contains 27 ministries. After a careful analysis, we realized that we may not need more than 18; there is no way Gombe State could go with 27 ministries” he noted.
The 11-member committee on the Review and Restructuring of the State Civil Service headed by Dr Jalo Daudu, a retired federal permanent secretary and former head of civil service of the state, is expected to review the structure and functions of the Gombe state Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). And to suggest ways of reforming Gombe civil service to become an model in the country.
