Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has approved the sack of 19 political appointees in line with his administration’s ongoing downsizing of the workforce.
The governor said the 19 workers are in the first batch of those to leave the state’s public service in continuation of the government’s downsizing of the workforce.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye, said the affected officials include two Special Advisers, a Deputy Chief of Staff and several Special Assistants.
“Malam Nasir El-Rufai has thanked the departing officials for their services to the state and wished them well in their future endeavours,” the statement said.
It listed the affected workers as 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 said Ben Kure (Special Adviser, Political), Mustapha Lynda Nyusha and Jamilu Gwarzala Dan Mutum (Special Assistants to the Special Adviser, Political) as well as Umar Haruna (Special Assistant, Political) are also affected.
Others are: Zainab Shehu (Special Adviser, Social Development), Stephen Hezron (a Special Assistant) and Mohammed Bello Shuaibu (Senior Special Assistant, Stakeholders’ Relations) and Aliyu Haruna (Senior Special Assistant on Youth).
Also on the list are: Halima Idris (Special Assistant, Creative Arts), Aliyu Alhaji Salihu (Director General of Public Procurement Authority), Ashiru Zuntu (Special Assistant, Community Relations) and Saida Sa’ad (a Senior Special Assistant).
The statement said the affected workers also include Elias Yahaya (Special Assistant, Programmes) and Tasiu Suleiman Yakaii (Special Assistant to the Secretary to Kaduna State Government, SSG), Samuel Hadwayah (Special Assistant on Economic Matters) and Ahmed Mohammed Gero (Senior Special Assistant, Environment).
Meanwhile, aggrieved students of the Kaduna State University (KASU) yesterday staged a peaceful protest on the state government’s plan to increase school fees from N35,000 to a N150,000.
The students alleged that the hike appeared to be a continuous attempt to deny them their right to education.
They described the action of the El-Rufai administration as a deliberate attempt to make education inaccessible to the masses, besides the N80,000 hostel charges and sacking of their parents from the workforce.
