The secretaries are: Adam Mahmud Kambari (Borno State); Esuabana Nko Asanye (Cross River State); Lamuwa Adamu Ibrahim (Gombe); Yakubu Adam Kofar-Mata (Kano State); Oloruntola Olufemi Micheal (Ogun State) and Richard Pheelangwah (Taraba State)
The President congratulated the new permanent secretaries on their appointment.
Those present at the commencement of meeting at the Council Chambers were Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha; Head of the Federal Civil Service, Folasade Yemi-Esan; and National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd).
Others are: Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Musa Bello.
Also present are the Ministers of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; Communication and Digital Economy, Prof. Ali Pantami; Power, Abubakar Aliyu; Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.
Fielding questions from newsmen, Yemi-Esan charged the new permanent secretaries to be committed in the discharge of their duties.
Meanwhile, Malami disclosed that Council approved a memo on policy relating to human rights.
He said: “It is intended and targeted at consolidating and upscaling Nigeria’s observance of human rights posture in view of what has happened, in terms of the successes and achievements of Nigeria, as it relates to human right.
“The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has established a record of being the first and only administration in the history of Nigeria that has tolerated, accommodated and enforced decisions of the Human Rights Commission. And in this respect, talking of the Apo Six. The Commission judged the government as being in breach of the human rights of certain individuals, popularly referred to as Apo Six, which unfortunate incident predates the government of President Buhari.”
Recall that the Commission adjudged the government liable to pay about N135 million to families of victims of the alleged infractions. The government of President Buhari took steps to ensure payment, in compliance with recommendations of the Commission, thereby giving teeth to the Commission.
The minister said: “The Committee for the Protection of Journalists had, equally, adjudged Nigeria as the only African country, last year, that has been in full compliance in terms of protection of the rights of journalists, taking into consideration that not a single incidence of the death of a journalist has been recorded in Nigeria.
“Now, with those local and international successes in mind, the need has arisen for Nigeria to indeed consolidate on the gains and upscale its provision from a local observance of the protection of human rights to international standard, by way of ensuring compliance with best practices.”
