Eight Katsina Permanent Secretaries Fail Competency Exams

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Katsina State Government has revealed that eight out of the 21 permanent secretaries who sat for its written and oral competency examinations have failed.

The state Head of Civil Service (HoS), Mr. Usman Isyaku, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with THISDAY yesterday, said 13 out of the 21 permanent secretaries passed the examinations.

He explained that those who passed the written and oral examinations were reappointed, while those that failed were given options by the government to either retire as permanent secretaries or return as directors.

Isyaku said: “Twenty-one permanent secretaries sat for the examinations, and out of these 21, 13 of them successfully passed the written examination and oral interview.

“Eight of them couldn’t make it but the government decided to extend its magnanimity by giving them options to either retire as permanent secretaries or revert to their substantive civil service posts as directors.”

He added that 23 directors were also vigorously examined and elevated to the rank of permanent secretaries, bringing the number of permanent secretaries in the state civil service to 36.

Isyaku noted that the main purpose of conducting the examinations was to test the capacity or competence of the permanent secretaries not to witch-hunt or an agenda to sack civil servants in the state.

The HoS said the 13 reinstated and 23 newly appointed permanent secretaries would undergo a series of training and induction courses “for them to know the dos and don’ts of the office for effective service delivery.

“There are also plans by the state government to also train all cadres in the state civil service from ordinary civil servants to directors.”