El-Rufai sacks 19 political appointees

Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has approved the disengagement of 19 political office holders.

According to the government, announced this is the first phase of political appointees to depart the public service during the current rightsizing exercise.

Daily Trust reports that El-Rufai had received knocks for disengaging thousands of civil servants in his rightsizing policy.

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The government had defended its policy by saying it would not continue to pay over 80 percent of its allocation from the federation account to civil servants and assured that the political appointees will also be affected in the exercise.

Among those disengaged by the state government day disengaged are a Deputy Chief of Staff and two special advisers.

El-Rufai in a tweeted thanked the departing officials for their services to the state and wished them well in their future endeavours.

According to the statement, those affected also included Bala Yunusa Mohammed, Deputy Chief of Legislative Staff (DCOSL); Halima Musa Nagogo, Special Assistant to DCOSL and Umar Abubakar, another Special Assistant to DCOSL.

The statement further said that Ben Kure, Special Adviser Political; Mustapha Lynda Nyusha and Jamilu Gwarzala Dan Mutum, Special Assistants to the Special Adviser Political will also exit the service, including Umar Haruna, a Special Assistant Political.

The list of those affected also included Special Adviser Social Development Zainab Shehu; Special Assistant to the Special Adviser, Stephen Hezron and Mohammed Bello Shuaibu, Senior Special Assistant Stakeholders Relations, as well as Senior Special Assistant on Youth, Aliyu Haruna.

Also on the list are Halima Idris, Special Assistant Creative Arts; Engr Aliyu Alhaji Salihu, Director General of Public Procurement Authority, Special Assistant Community Relations Ashiru Zuntu and Saida Sa’ad, a Senior Special Assistant.

According to the statement, Special Assistant Programmes, Elias Yahaya and Special Assistant to the Secretary to Kaduna State Government, Tasiu Suleiman Yakaii are on the list.

The Special Assistant on Economic Matters, Samuel Hadwayah and Ahmed Mohammed Gero, Senior Special Assistant Environment were also sacked.