The appointment of Dame Patience Jonathan as Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State is routine - Gov Aide
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- Category: ARTICLES
- Thursday, 12 July 2012
- By Eloho Etemire
Sir, The distraction in the country today as I write is the appointment of the wife of the President of Nigeria, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan as Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State. Human rights activist Itse Sagay and other heavy weight lawyers have jumped into the bandwagon of critics.
However, in my opinion, as the SA on media to the Governor of Bayelsa State wrote “that is simply routine”. I base my opinion on the following points below:
1. Mrs Goodluck Jonathan was a Civil Servant in Bayelsa State rising to the rank of a Director until she took leave of absence in 1999 when her husband became a Deputy Governor.
2. Going on leave of absence for political offices or studies is routine.
3. In Nigeria, Associate Professors (Readers) routinely get promoted to the rank of professor during leave of absence.
4. Promotion to the rank of Permanent Secretary is more or less a political appointment once the civil servant attains the rank of Director.
5. She could have been appointedPermanent Secretary quietly without announcement. I believe we should channel our energies to other more pressing issues instead of focusing on an appointment which seems more or less routine.
