"Permanent secretaries picked on merit", says Acting President

15 new permanent secretaries were sworn in during the ceremony that took place at the State House Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The new secretaries are: Mrs. Anagbogu Ifeoma Nkiruka - Ministry of Women Affairs; Mrs. Walson-Jack Didi Esther - Service Welfare Office in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Gekpe Grace Isu - Ministry of Information and Culture; Aliboh Leon Lawrence - Ministry of Budget and National Planning; Uwaifo Osarenoma Clement - Ministry of Health; Afolayan Ayodele Olaniyi - Common Services, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; and Abdullahi Abdulazeez Mashi - Ministry of Communications.

Others are: Adebiyi Bolaji Adekunle - Ministry of Labour and Employment; Ibrahim Musa Wen - Ministry of Water Resources; Odewale Samson Olajide - Special Duties, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Adesola Olusade - Ministry of Youth and Sports Development; Umar Mohammed Bello - Special Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Aduda Gabriel Tanimu - Politcal Affairs Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Akpan Edet Sunday - Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; and Ehuria Georgina Ekeoma - Cabinet Affairs Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

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While addressing the council, Osinbajo praised the new secretaries as the best that the civil service has to offer, assuring them that they were appointed based on merit.

In a press statement signed by spokesperson Laolu Akande, Osinbajo said, "You are here today after a rigorous selection process undertaken by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and her team of retired Heads of Service, Permanent Secretaries, seasoned technocrats and members of the organized private sector.

"In other words your appointment, on a state by state basis is on merit, and you are here today being presented to this nation as the best that our civil service can offer.

"You come into office at a crucial moment in our national history. First we are at the cusp of a radical economic recovery and growth effort that has as its core the implementation of a comprehensive diversification of the Nigerian economy.

"We are also implementing a major reform of our public finance system, emphasizing integrity and fiscal prudence. These reforms are being effected in the context of our determined anti-corruption programme and these efforts cannot succeed without a competent and committed civil service corps led by your good selves.

"Your role is not just in providing direction, and providing leadership but also in the training of the core of the civil service that is under your care and charge.

"We expect that Permanent Secretaries will be the drivers of the implementation of the Executive Orders. And this is why a training programme has been undertaken in order to do so and it is a continuous programme of training.

"Your coming into office at this particular time is a good signal and I believe very strongly that it will be an opportunity for a reset in some cases of projects and programmes that up till now may not have been fully completed.

"It is also important to emphasize that this government is committed to an anti-corruption programme. It is easy to speak about corruption and to speak about anti-corruption programmes. But we want to emphasize that we do not believe that any nation can survive at the levels of corruption that we have witnessed in our country in the past years.

"It is completely impossible to implement government policies or programmes or to ensure that the benefits of economic programmes, the benefits even of democracy, ever reach the ordinary man if corruption remains at the levels that it has been in the previous years.

"This is why our commitment to corruption is not just a glib reference, it is not just glib talk; it is important, it is crucial, as a matter of fact, as the President has said, "If we don't kill corruption, corruption will kill us."

"It is your responsibility as Federal Permanent Secretaries especially this new corps of Federal Permanent Secretaries, chosen and selected on merit to ensure that you carry out in the fullest measure all of the anti-corruption programmes of this government, and to ensure also that by your practice and in your conduct you are also above board."

During the meeting, Osinbajo also assigned portfolios to ministers Stephen Ocheni and Suleiman Hassan after he swore the two in on July 26.

Ochen‎i will be the new Minister of State for Labour and Employment while Hassan has been appointed as Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing.