The appointment of Dame Patient Jonathan, wife of the President as one of the 18 permanent secretaries named by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has been faulted by the Chairman of the state chapter of the Civil Liberties Organisation, Mr. Morris Alagoa.In a statement titled : The Appointment Of Nigeria’s First Lady As Permanent Secretary In Bayelsa State: An unacceptable step” noted that “With all due respect to the Office of the Governor, the news of the appointment of Nigeria’s first lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan was received with disbelief and rude shock. It would have been better if it just ended as mere rumour than reality”.
“Ordinarily there wouldn’t have been anything wrong with Mr. President’s wife being appointed a Permanent Secretary in any state of her origin or by marriage; as is the Bayelsa scenario. While those who are claiming that Mrs. Patience Jonathan has been a Civil Servant in the state may be right, most Bayelsans are just hearing this side of her being a civil servant for the very first time”.
Accoridng Alagoa, the questions begging for answers from concerned Bayelsans are that: Was she on secondment or a leave of absence all these years? Has her name been featuring in the pay roll of the Bayelsa State government? Has she been part of the several staff audits that have taken place since, including the Biometrics conducted by the office of Due Process and e.Governance Bureau during Sylva’s administration? Bayelsans would want to know because Mrs.Patence Jonathan must not be allowed to eat her cake and have it.Again, have she been going to work as a state civil servant?”
“ These questions are very important because we know that when Abusalami was the Head of State, his wife was working before then. When Dr. Peter Odili was Governor of Rivers State, his wife, Justice Mary Odili was working. So, where was Patience Jonathan working when her husband was Deputy Governor?
“It may not be difficult for the government to cook up documents to take care of all the questions about her being a civil servant, but how did she rose through the ranks in the ministry. Permanent Secretary Positions are not like honorary degrees issued by Universities. It follows real career development in Ministries; they are not even political appointments like the position of Commissioner”.
He added that in view of the fact that a Permanent Secretary is supposed to be the engine room of any ministry, one thinks this lady would not fit such a position.
CLO stalwart advised “Governor Dickson not to set bad precedents like this. It is a known fact that Dickson is really close to Mr. President, but if he thinks this is the best way to express appreciation of the closeness, the move is not only unacceptable but an opprobrium he has brought to Bayelsans”
“The appointment is unacceptable and a slap on Bayelsans. And, unless the appointment is reversed; it could mean the beginning of many other false steps of Dickson to come. If he is out to fight corruption; then he such also know that there is something called moral bankruptcy which leads to other corrupt tendencies and practice. This could fall within that sphere. Unless the Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson led government is able to clearly and convincingly explain to Bayelsans the mystery surrounding this appointment and place same in perspective, this is could be viewed as an act of fraud. Our commonwealth should not be used to further widen the lacuna between the have and haves not; but allow for even spread to benefit even the unemployed, those below the poverty line, children, the physically challenged amongst us and the aged through well articulated social security schemes. The expectations of the people should not be dashed with negative news where the rich will be getting richer and poor poorer.
Most of the government officials interviewed on the issue condemned the development but pleaded not to be named for fear of being reprimanded.
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