The Federal Government has shortlisted 41 directors for the final round of examination towards becoming permanent secretaries in the civil service.

The 41 directors emerged from the 91 candidates who sat an Information Communication Technology proficiency test on Thursday in Abuja.

This means 50 senior government officials who sat examination did not succeed.

Our correspondent on Saturday obtained a copy of the memo announcing the 41 successful candidates.

The memo dated June 6, 2020 was signed 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.

Mairiga noted that the 41 successful candidates would now take part in the final examination which is an oral interview slated for Monday.

The memo marked “HCSF/CMO/AOD/012/VOL. VI/42 read, “Following the conduct of the ICT proficiency test for the appointment of permanent secretaries in the federal civil service on June 4, 2020, I am directed to invite the following 41 shortlisted candidates to the oral interview/interactive session.

“Accordingly, the candidates are to report for the interview on Monday, June 8, 2020 at the Olusegun Obasanjo Hall, Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase II, Abuja by 8am prompt.”

Only 16 out of the 41 final candidates are expected to become permanent secretaries.

Yemi-Esan had in an earlier circular issued in March indicated that examinations would be conducted to appoint 16 new permanent secretaries.

She had said 14 successful candidates will replace the permanent secretaries that are billed to retire this year, while the remaining two are meant to fill existing vacancies.

According to the March 23 circular, the 14 states with permanent secretaries that will retire this year are Kebbi, Kwara, Abia, Anambra, Cross River, Kaduna, Kano, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe and Jigawa.

The two states with existing vacancies are Zamfara and Kogi.

Yemi-Esan had reiterated that only officers in the mainstream of the federal civil service who attained the substantive rank of director on Salary Grade Level 17 on or before January 1, 2018 and who have updated their records on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System verification portal are eligible to sit for the examinations.

She 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.

She wrote, “Accordingly, the following officers shall not be accredited: directors that did not update their online records on the IPPIS verification portal (from April 5, 2017 up until it closed on May 23, 2018).

“Those that shall not be accredited also include serving directors retiring earlier than or on December 31, 2021; serving directors promoted in the last one year (2019); and directors undergoing disciplinary procedure.”

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 from Niger State; Olushola Idowu from Ogun State; Andrew Adejoh representing the North–Central zone; Umar Tijjani representing the North–East zone; Nasir Gwarzo from the North–West zone; Nebeolisa Anako representing the South–East zone; Fashedemi Peter representing the South–West zone; and Evelyn Ngige from the South–South zone of Nigeria.

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

The 48 senior officials had earlier emerged successful among the 87 candidates who sat for the second set of examination for applicants. (The Punch)

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