THE Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has announced a major reshuffling of his cabinet.
The governor, on Thursday, December 12, sacked the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, and scrapped the Office of the Chief of Staff (COS), currently occupied by Shehu Wada Sagagi.
In a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, the governor said the first major rejig of his cabinet took immediate effect, adding that the decision was to effect a pragmatic political realignment of his administration.
According to the statement, Yusuf maintained that the decision was to ensure optimal performance by his administration and make the state’s people enjoy dividends of democracy.
Five commissioners were sacked by the governor in the cabinet shake-up. They include commissioner for finance, Ibrahim Jibril Fagge; culture and tourism; Ladidi Ibrahim Garko; information and internal affairs; Baba Halilu Dantiye; special duties; Shehu Aliyu Yammedi; and rural community development; Abbas Sani Abbas.
According to Dawakin Tofa, the governor also reassigned some commissioners “to enhance administrative performance and political retooling.”
They include the deputy governor, Aminu Abdulssalam, who has been moved from the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs to higher education; Mohammad Tajo Usman, who was moved from science and technology to local government and chieftaincy affairs; and Yusuf Ibrahim Kofar Mata, who was moved from higher education to science, technology, and innovation.
The list includes Amina Abdullahi, from humanitarian and poverty alleviation to women, children, and disabled, and Nasiru Sule Garo, from the ministry of environment and climate change to special duties.
Similarly, the commissioner of project monitoring and evaluation, Ibrahim Namadi, has been moved to transport, while Umar Haruna Doguwa of the ministry of education was moved to the water resources ministry.
Others are Ali Haruna Makoda from water resources to education; Aisha Lawal Saji from the ministry of women, children, and disabled to tourism and culture; and Muhammad Diggol from transport to the ministry of project monitoring and evaluation.
However, the statement added that SSG, Bichi, was dropped on health grounds.
Recall that in 2023, Yusuf sacked the commissioner for lands, Adamu Aliyu, who threatened judges handling the election petition tribunal in the state.
In a statement on Friday, September 15, the dismissed commissioner for information, Dantiye, described Aliyu’s comment as unguarded.
Aliyu had threatened the state’s tribunal judges in response to allegations that the judges had been bought off, asking them to choose between money or their lives.
In addition to the commissioner, the governor dismissed Aliyu Yusuf, his special adviser on youth and sports.
A reporter with the ICIR
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