"Today, we are making another milestone in our journey towards a greater Jigawa. We've sworn in permanent secretaries to take charge of various ministries in our state."
The Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, has called on the newly appointed permanent secretaries in the state to prioritise knowledge sharing and mentorship within the civil service.
The spokesperson to the governor, Hamisu Muhammad Gumel, disclosed in a statement that Mr Namadi made the call while swearing in eight newly appointed permanent secretaries and an adviser to the governor on chieftaincy affairs.
During the event, which held at the Council Chambers of the Government House, Dutse, on Wednesday, Governor Namadi emphasised the critical role these permanent secretaries will play in steering their respective ministries towards achieving the administration's goals.
In the same vein, the governor while swearing in a special adviser to coordinate chieftaincy affairs, stressed the importance of that office in maintaining security and cultural heritage during challenging times.
"Today, we are making another milestone in our journey towards a greater Jigawa. We've sworn in permanent secretaries to take charge of various ministries in our state. We have also sworn in a special adviser who will coordinate the affairs of our chieftaincy," he said.
"These groups are very critical and important to the success of this administration because, as the advisor on chieftaincy affairs, while congratulating you on this assignment, I want to urge you that this task is challenging because we are in a challenging period, a challenging period where the royal fathers play an important role in the period of insecurity and the degradation of our culture."
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Governor Namadi further expressed the government's commitment to securing the state and preserving its cultural heritage, while at the same time promoting and defending the entirety of Jigawa State. He stressed the need for the new permanent secretaries to exhibit discipline and administrative quality, adding the importance of on-the-job training and mentorship within the civil service.
He stated, "You are coming in as permanent secretaries at a very critical time--a time when there is a lot of agitation from both workers and the general public. Therefore, there is a need for you, first of all, to discipline yourselves. It is only from you that your fellow workers will learn. You need to display serious administrative quality so as to relate very well with your workers."
"Not only that, you need to sustain on-the-job training. The major problem in the civil service is that those at the higher levels don't want to teach those at the lower levels.
Everybody wants to go with their knowledge. I don't know how it will benefit you. I hope you will be agents of change in this respect."
"You have reached the peak of your career, so even if you train 10 or 100 people, they will only be aiming to become what you are today, so there is no competition between you and them. You're the permanent secretary because someone trained you. So please help others attain this position. Teach them, guide them, discipline them, and reward them."
Governor Namadi urged the new appointees to always remember the oath of office they took and to put the fear of Allah in all their actions. He urged them to do their best to effectively discharge their responsibilities.
