Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has approved the appointment of 34 new officials into various boards, parastatals, and advisory positions across the state as part of efforts to strengthen governance and enhance public service delivery.

The governor said the appointments were aimed at giving opportunities to “innovative and resourceful professionals” to contribute to the socio-economic and political re-engineering of the state.

The announcement, contained in a statement on Sunday by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibraheem Musa, listed appointees for key institutions including the Kaduna State Senior Secondary Schools Education Board, Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development, Kaduna State Media Corporation, and several other agencies.

Sani urged the new appointees to view their selection as a call to duty and to carry out their responsibilities with diligence and fairness.

“At the Kaduna State Senior Secondary Schools Education Board, Dr. Suwaiba Shehu Ibrahim, mni, was named Executive Chairman. A seasoned academic and administrator, she previously served as Permanent Secretary, Kaduna State Teachers’ Service Board, and as a lecturer in Business Administration at Kaduna State University. She holds a PhD in Business Administration and is a Member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies.

“Other members of the board include Nita Byack George, a chartered administrator and development specialist who once served as Sole Administrator of Jaba Local Government; Monday Tela Bako, a retired civil servant and former Director of Investigations, Public Complaints Commission; Aliyu Haruna Ahmed, a community health specialist and grassroots mobiliser; and Hon. Aliyu Ibrahim, a finance administrator and former Director of Finance and Supplies, Kaduna Agricultural Development Project.

“Muhammad Kabir Uthman, a lawyer and management expert, was appointed Secretary of the Board. He previously worked with the Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division, and is Principal Partner at M.K. Uthman & Co”, the statement partly read.

In the vocational training sector, “Hon. Phoebe Sukai Yayi was appointed Deputy Provost, Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development, Samarun Kataf Campus, while Engr. Muhammad Sulaiman will serve as Deputy Provost, Soba Campus.

“Yayi, a veteran administrator, has held key roles in the Kaduna State Civil Service, including Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, and pioneer Commissioner/Administrator, Kafanchan Municipal Authority.

“Sulaiman, an engineer and former Chairman of Sabon Gari Local Government, holds multiple advanced degrees, including a PhD in Civil Engineering and an MBA.

The governor also named Abdullahi Kabir, a legal practitioner formerly with Bayero University, Kano, as Registrar of the Institute.

“To further strengthen vocational training and youth empowerment, Murjanatu Sulaiman Shika, an academic and community development advocate, was appointed Special Adviser on Vocational Training and Skills Development”, the statement continued.

At the Kaduna State Media Corporation, “Mallam El-Said Yakubu Lere was named Board Chairman. A veteran journalist and founder of Liberty Radio, Kaduna, Lere previously served as Executive Director (Radio) at KSMC and as Assistant Press Secretary at Government House, Kaduna.

“Zakari Aliyu, a broadcast professional and former Chief Information Officer at the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis, was appointed Executive Director of the media agency

“In the information sector, Binta Muhammad will serve as Senior Special Assistant (Public Relations), while Sulaiman Abubakar Kinkinau was appointed Senior Special Assistant (Research, Documentation and Strategy II)”, the statement added.

The governor also appointed “Hon. Gambo Mathew Bulus, a policy analyst and former Chairman of Lere Local Government, as Board Chairman, Kaduna State Agricultural Development Agency.

“Malam Lawal Usman, an educationist and sociologist, is now Chairman, Kaduna State Scholarship and Loans Board (KSSLB), while Hon. Suleiman Ibrahim, an environmental management consultant, was named General Manager, Kaduna State Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA).

“Usman Umar, a former Assistant Manager at the Central Bank of Nigeria and IT professional, was appointed Executive Director (Corporate Services), Kaduna Mining Development Company Ltd.

“Barr. Abdulrauf Atiku, a lawyer and principal partner at Moonlight Attorneys, Kaduna, was named Special Adviser (Legal Matters). Atiku has years of experience in litigation and public law practice”, the statement further noted.

The governor also approved several appointments at the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) and Special Assistant (SA) levels covering key sectors of government.

They include “Hon. Timothy Chindo (SSA, Emergency Management); DSP Abdullahi A.U. Ladan (rtd.) (SSA, Citizenship and Leadership I); Yusuf Umar Garkuwa (SSA, Citizenship and Leadership II); Aaron Bako (SSA, Citizenship and Leadership III); Francis A. Sani (Zimbo) (SSA, Industrial Training and Development); Abdullahi Muhammad Sani (LEMA) (SSA, Special Duties IV); Augustine Beguwa (SSA, Job Creation); Salamatu Saleh Kida (SSA, Humanitarian Affairs); Yusuf Aliyu Ahmed (SSA, Special Duties); and Abubakar Aliyu (SSA, Stakeholder Relations II).

“Others are Atang Musa Danjuma (SA, Citizenship and Leadership); Nasir Aliyu Baban Yaya (SA, Support Groups III); Zainab Sani Giwa (SA, Special Duties IV); Yusuf Usman (SA, Support Groups IV); and Hon. Dogara Unyem (SA, Support Groups V).”

Sani, while congratulating all 34 appointees, said the diversity of their backgrounds reflected his administration’s inclusive and merit-based approach to governance. (The PUNCH)