Why Lagos Lagos Permanent Secretaries Are Afraid As Sanwo- Olu Takes Over From Ambode

Tolani Abati

There has been palpable fear among permanent secretaries in Lagos State service since Monday , May 20, 2019, over a letter that emanated from the Public Service Office(PSO), on the same date.

The letter titled , Request For The Submission Of Professional Citations By Lagos State Permanent Secretaries , read thus : “I have the instructions of HOS to request all Lagos State permanent secretaries to submit a brief summary of their professional citation highlighting academic/professional qualifications, offices / positions held( including current post), core functions and responsibilities including career achievements( if any), for the purpose of updating the service records of this category of principal officers”.

The permanent secretaries were given up to close of work the following day , Tuesday, May 21, 2019, to submit.

The circular was signed by Mr S O Ajibade , the permanent secretary in Public Service Office(PSO).

Many top civil servants including the permanent secretaries , are reading meaning to this circular, to mean that, the incoming governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo- Olu, wants to weed out some of the permanent secretaries in order to appoint his own.

They cited the case of the outgoing governor Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, who did the same thing in 2015.

According to a source, Ambode had one – on – one meeting with each permanent secretary when he came in 2015.

It was after the meeting he compulsorily retired 15 of them and appointed 19 new ones on August 2015.

Among those compulsorily retired by Ambode then are ; Mr Adekunle Ajanaku, Mr Bamigbose – Martins , Mr Adedeji Taiwo Adetunde , Dr Aderemi Desalu, Mr Pedro Lawal , Mr Fadipe Ashamu Sewanu , Mr Lateef Abari and Mrs Regina Obasa.