By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir has declared that having Three different people as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) does not speak well of him but it became necessary in order to get the right person.
The Governor was speaking on Friday after the swearing in of Aminu Hammayo as the new Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Hashimu Yakubu as the Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to the Governor held at the Executive Chambers of the Governor’s Office.
According to him, “We have passed through a lot of problems and challenges, that was the reason, for that office, it was not my wish for it to be succeptible to changes, he is the third person to occupy that office which is a sensitive one.”
Bala Mohammed stressed that, “But, certainly, we have to be flexible, we have to really look inwards and block gaps because there are a lot of gaps in the system, without the engine room being correct, definitely we cannot go anywhere.”
The Governor declared that, “The exit of the former SSG was necessitated by the need for a positive change and of course, Aminu Hammayo is the square peg in a square hole, he is a financial expert and rose to the top of his civil service career after a successful banking career, definitely we expect so much from him, there are a lot of leakages, a lot of misdemeanors that must be stopped.”
“I wish to thank the new SSG for accepting to work with us and particularly with me, accepting such cannot be taken for granted. I know, as he said, he knows me very well, I have worked with him closely and he is not new in government as a person,” he added.
The Governor added that,”He is well acquainted with the policies and programmes of government. At the time we were going for electioneering, he was a member of the Eminent Persons that was asked to come up with a blueprint which is now ‘My Bauchi Project’ .
He also stated that,”I found him to be a good resource person, but certainly, sometimes, because of the political calculation, it was not his time to be the SSG. I have always said that he is the best of the brains we have in the cabinet, I have said it and even our colleagues agreed, he is a very simple and civil person and has the capability to navigate the difficult times.”
He further stated that, “it is not in doubt, he has shock absorbers and a lot of resourcefulness in him and so certainly, this is the time to shoulder power and responsibilities, a very big one because of the need to deliver and get the governance working.”
To the new PPS, Hashimu Yakubu, the Governor stated that,”We have been together right from our young ages, we were classmates in the Primary School, we played together and we are from the same area, so, we know each other very well.”
According to him, “I have confidence that he will do very well considering his success as a top civil servant in the State while I was at the Federal Civil Service. He has done so well, he too is a square peg in a square hole. The office of the PPS needs a close confidant and he has acted it very well.”
Bala Mohammed then expressed optimism that with the new appointments, his administration is once more ready to bounce back and give impactful governance to the State.
Responding on behalf of the new appointees, the SSG, Aminu Hammayo assured that the two of them, though not new to the administration, will bring in new things expected of their offices in order to make governance easier and impactful.
He stressed thanks to the Governor for finding them worthy of the appointments from among many qualified persons across the state assuring that they will not betray the trust reposed in them.
