By Lawrence Olaoye
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday warned that disagreements between ministers and their permanent secretaries must stop in the interest of development of the country.
Jonathan handed down this warning while swearing-in six new federal permanent secretaries at the council chambers of the Presidential Villa, stressing the need for government to work out a new framework that would check the trend.
The Permanent Secretaries who were sworn-in yesterday include Echano Sunday Togo (Benue state), Mrs. Mede Nana Fatima (Edo), Dr. Amina Mohammed Bello Shamaki (Kebbi) and Mr. Istifanus Musa Mik Fuktur (Taraba).
Also sworn-in were Mr. Bulus Zom Lolo (Kaduna) and Malam Aminu Aliyu Bisalla (Niger).
Jonathan equally charged the new Permanent Secretaries to bring back the good old days in civil service, when the issue of discipline was taken seriously.
The President explained that government would not be able to achieve the desired result if ministers and permanent secretaries don’t work together,
“Lately, we have received too many complaints about cold relationships between permanent secretaries and ministers. If minister and permanent secretaries don’t work together, there is no way we can do what we are expected to do.”
“The ministry is meant to be run by the political head, the accounting officer and the director and so, if there is conflict or cold relationship among the actors in any department of government, it is a recipe of failure. So, in any ministry where the minister and the permanent secretary are not in terms, that is another way of telling Nigerians that both of you have failed the country”, the President said.
The President urged Ministers and Permanent Secretaries to work together in the interest of the country.
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