50 directors fail permanent secretary exam, 41 for oral interview

Fifty of the 91 shortlisted federal directors failed a written test to fill the 16 vacant federal permanent secretary positions in Nigeria.

The Federal Government has now shortlisted 41, who passed the test, for an oral interview taking place on Monday in Abuja.

The Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (HoCSF) disclosed this in a letter dated June 6 by the director overseeing the office of the Permanent Secretary, I. A. Mairiga, on behalf of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan.

According to the director, the oral interview will hold on June 8 at the office of the Head of Service of the Federation in Abuja.

Mairiga had earlier in a memo dated June 3, 2020, announced the shortlisting of 91 directors for the written round of examination towards becoming permanent secretaries in the civil service.

Yemi-Esan had in a May 6, 2020 circular announced dates for the examinations in a statement signed by the Director, Communications Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), Mrs. Olawunmi Ogunmosunle.

She said that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the commencement of the processes for the appointment of 16 new permanent secretaries to replace outgoing ones in 14 states and to fill two existing vacancies in two other states.

According to the circular, after the written examination of June 1, the second stage, which is Information and Communication Technology assessment test, will hold on June 4 and will be opened to only candidates shortlisted from the first stage.

The circular further indicated that those shortlisted from the second stage will take part in the final stage which will be oral interview/interactive session with a broad-based panel of experts and practitioners which will be held on June 8 and 9.

The HoS added that to be eligible, such officials must hail from Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Cross River, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara states and should not be retiring from service earlier than on December 31, 2021.

The last time permanent secretaries were appointed was in December 2019 when the Federal Government approved the appointment of nine new permanent secretaries.

Those appointed then were Musa Hassan from Borno State; Ahmed Aliyu, Niger State; Olushola Idowu, Ogun State; Andrew Adejoh representing the North-Central zone; Umar Tijjani representing the North-East zone; Nasir Gwarzo representing the North-West zone; Nebeolisa Anako representing the South-East zone; Fashedemi Peter representing the South-West zone; and Evelyn Ngige representing the South-South zone.

The nine permanent secretaries were picked from the 48 directors who participated in the final stage of the selection process.