The crisis in the ruling New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, has taken a new twist as Governor Abba Yusuf posted out the permanent secretary Special Duties, Aminu Kura, in the Office of the Deputy Governor as well as the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs, Ibrahim Kabara.
The deputy governor, Aminu Abdussalam, doubles as the commissioner of Local Government in the state.
While Mr Kabara was posted to an ‘arid’ Ministry of Special Duties, Mr Kura was posted to the Office of the Head of Service, without a portfolio.
The governor therefore approved the posting of Sadi Ibrahim as permanent secretary, Special Duties, Office of the Deputy Governor and Musbahu Badawi, permanent secretary, Ministry of Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs.
The governor also approved the posting of Aminu Kabara and Jamilu Muhd, the sit-in directors of Salary & Wages and Recruitment & Training respectively from the Ministry of Local Government to the Office of the Head of Service for reassignment.
Although the new postings appear, on the surface, as a routine civil service realignment that involves different ministries and departments, including the Government House, insiders however linked the removal of the top officials in the deputy governor’s office and Ministry of Local Government to the recent crisis in the party.
On Monday, DAILY NIGERIAN reported the simmering crisis raging party as well as the governor’s frosty relationship with the national leader of the party, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The relationship between the governor and his deputy further receded, following a drug procurement scandal involving Novomed, a pharmaceutical company owned by Musa Garba Kwankwaso, a nephew to the national leader of the party.
The governor’s move was viewed by observers as an administrative way of whittling down the control of the deputy governor over local government affairs.
In a circular dated November 4, 2024 and signed by the permanent secretary, Establishment, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Umar Jalo, the governor reassigned new permanent secretaries and some directors in the local government ministry as well as a few other ministries.
A source familiar with the development told this newspaper that the deputy governor was not consulted before the new posting.
“The tradition is that the Office of the Deputy Governor selects top civil servants in his office and forward them to governor for approval and posting. In these new postings, the deputy governor was not consulted.
“This is an indication of a rift between the governor and his deputy,” he said.
Other sources however said the affected officials were posted out due to alleged indictment in the Novomed scandal by the Kano State Anti-Corruption and Public Complaint Commission.
Spokesman for the governor, Sanusi Dawakintofa, could not be reached for comment at the time of filing this report.
Daily Nigeria
