Walson-Jack, Aduda, Mbaeri Top List of Candidates to Replace Yemi-Esan as HoS

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The lobby to replace the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi- Esan, is gathering steam and appears to have been narrowed down to the six most senior permanent secretaries in the federal civil service.

Yemi-Esan, who was appointed by President Mohammed Buhari in 2019, following the removal Mrs Ekanem Oyo-Ita,will retire on August 14 after attaining the age of 60, which is the mandatory retirement age for civil servants in the core Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Amid her impending departure, there have been intense intrigues and lobbying by some of the nation’s high ranking technocrats to be appointed by President Bola Tinubu.

Aside from ranking, the need for geo-political balancing is one of the major factors to be considered by President Tinubu in making a choice as the incumbent occupier of the office is from the north, while the Chairman Civil Service Commission, Dr Tunji Olaopa, is from the south.

“It is at the discretion of the President to choose whoever he prefers as the Head of Service. There is no law that says the head of service and the Chairman of Civil Service Commission should come different geo political zones.

“When Buhari was the president, he appointed based on his preference and Tinubu can as he wishes,” said a source in the civil service.

One of THISDAY sources disclosed that the choice has been narrowed down to the six most senior permanent secretary with another junior ranking permanent secretary also said to be in the run.

The most senior ranking civil servant angling for the post is the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, Mrs Esther Didi Walson-Jack, who hails from Bayelsa State.

She was once the Solicitor-General of Bayelsa State and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice before she joined the federal civil service.

Next in the order of seniority is the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Philip Taminu Aduda. He is from the FCT.

He is followed by the Permanent Secretary, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mr Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan.

Another candidate being touted is Dr. Maurice Nnamdi Mbaeri, who is the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office (GSO) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

As the GSO, Mbaeri, a chartered accountant and an indigene of Imo State, is at the nerve centre of the OSGF, whose office handles the internal administration of the entire OSGF and liaises with external agencies of government for proper coordination and implementation of government policies.

Sources revealed last night that Mbaeri’s appointment was being pushed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, to placate the South East geo-political zone in the scheme of things.

The fifth permanent secretary in the order of seniority is the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, an ophthalmologist with over 20 years in medical practice.

She had functioned in various capacities, including as Permanent Secretary Special Duties Office (SDO) in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

In January this year, her name was thrown up when workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) rejected her posting as the FCT Permanent Secretary, while demanding full implementation of the FCT Civil Service Commission Law, 2018, which provided for the appointment of a chief accounting officer from within the Administration.

The last candidate on the list is the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Nebeolisa Anako.

Anako is a civil engineer, who was first appointed as permanent secretary in 2001.  He was born on August 5, 1964 at Enugwu-Ukwu in Anambra State.

However, according to sources, the dark horse in the race to replace Yemi-Esan is the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Dr Ibrahim Kana.

Kana is a medical doctor and ophthalmologist, who hails from Nasarawa State. He was the Head of the Medical Mission of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to the 2019 Hajj in Saudi Arabia.