Kano state’s governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has mandated all commissioners and other political appointees to hand over their official duties by Friday. The order extends to Special Advisers, Chief Executives of Parastatals and Government-owned Companies, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants, Personal Assistants, and Board Members.
However, the directive does not apply to Kano State Civil Servants holding the positions of Executive Secretaries and Managing Directors of Parastatals and Government-owned Companies, according to a statement from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government.
All affected appointees are instructed to hand over all responsibilities of their offices, including all government properties in their possession, to Permanent Secretaries or Directors Administration & General Services/Directors Personnel Management (DPM) by Friday. This move comes as preparation for the end of the current administration and the subsequent handover of the government on May 29.
Public officers with tenure-based appointments, whose tenure has not yet expired, should continue to hold office as outlined by the relevant Laws governing their appointments, the statement added.
Bilkisu Shehu, the permanent secretary of the Directorate of Research, Evaluation and Political Affairs (REPA) in the office of the SSG, signed the statement. Shehu conveyed Governor Ganduje’s appreciation for the contributions of all those impacted by the directives, highlighting that their input in the state’s development will forever be etched in the history of Kano state.
This directive heralds the first transfer of power since 2011 from the ruling party to the opposition party, marking a significant moment in Kano state’s political landscape. The only other time such a transition has occurred was in 2003, when the Rabiu Kwankwaso-led PDP administration handed over to the Ibrahim Shekarau-led ANPP administration.
