Presidency further extends tenure of retired official, Oyo-Ita tells Reps

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Ms. Wnifred Oyo-Ita, on Tuesday, declared before a bemused House of Representatives members that the Presidency has further extended the tenure of a retired Permanent Secretary, Dr. Jamila Shu’ara, for another year.

Testifying before the House Committee on Basic Education, the Head of Service said that the additional one year extension was conveyed to her office in a letter by the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari.

Ms. Oyo-Ita added that the letter dated March 7, notified her that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the extension of Dr. Shu’ara for an additional one year following the expiration of the first tenure granted her in February.

Dr. Shu’ara had retired from the civil service as permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education in 2016, having attained the mandatory age limit and year of service before she was granted an extension to remain in service.

This flouting of civil service rules and procedures has irked House members.

According to the HoS while quoting portions of Abba Kyari’s letter, said that the “extension is anchored on Section 171 (2) of the amended 1999 Constitution and is based on special considerations and shouldn’t be cited as policy.”

Earlier, during the hearing, chairman of the house committee, Rep. Zakari Mohammed, had informed his colleagues that the request for extension for the retired public official emanated from the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu.

However, responding to the assertion by the HoS that the power to appoint any permanent secretary is solely vested on the president, Rep. Zakari disagreed, saying that “no part of the constitution gives powers to extend tenure of a permanent secretary.”

Shedding light on her controversial extension, Dr. Shu’ara, who introduced herself as a former permanent secretary, informed the committee that upon reaching the mandatory retirement age and year of service, she tendered her notice of retirement through the office of the HoS as required by law.

“When my retirement date arrived, l handed over to the most senior director in the ministry and left.

“However, while waiting for an acceptance of my retirement from the office of the HoS, l was informed by the ministry that there was a new development recalling me back to my post and was handed the extension letter instead,” she added.