By Umar Salam.
Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has forwarded the list of 11 commissioner-nominees to the Kaduna State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.
The governor added no new face to his 11-man list, as all the shortlisted nominees served in various positions in his first tenure.
According to Government House sources, the governor deliberately picked insiders to enable them hit the ground running in pursuance of his administration’s second term targets and objectives.
Notable among the nominees, was Samuel Aruwan, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor El-Rufai on Media and Publicity.
One of the sources also revealed that the second batch of nominees will subsequently be forwarded to the State Assembly.
The commissioners, when confirmed are expected to run the 14 ministries created through an Executive Order last month.
See list of the first batch of nominees and their portfolios, as well as their previous engagements:
1. Ja’afaru Ibrahim Sani – Ministry of Local Government Affairs
2. Idris Samaila Nyam – Ministry of Business, Innovation & Technology
3. Shehu Usman Makarfi – Ministry of Education
4. Ibrahim Garba Hussaini – Ministry of Environment & Natural Resources
5. Kabir Muhammad Mato – Ministry of Sports Development
6. Balaraba Aliyu-Inuwa – Ministry of Public Works & Infrastructure
7. Samuel Peter Aruwan – Ministry of Internal Security & Home Affairs
8. Fausat Adebola Ibikunle – Ministry of Housing & Urban Development
9. Mohammed Bashir Saidu – Ministry of Finance
10. Hafsat Mohammed Baba – Ministry of Human Services & Social Development
11. Aisha Dikko – Ministry of Justice
See previous engagements:
1. Ja’afaru Ibrahim Sani served as commissioner in the ministries of Local Government and Education in the first-term. Prior to joining the Kaduna State Executive Council, he was Permanent Secretary Cabinet Affairs.
2. Idris Samaila Nyam is the current Accountant-General of the State. He has served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance.
3. Shehu Usman Makarfi is the current Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health.
4. Ibrahim Garba Hussaini is the pioneer Director-General of the Kaduna State Geographic Information Service (KADGIS).
5. Kabir Muhammad Mato, a professor of Political Science, has served as commissioner of Agriculture and Local Government. He joined the government as Special Adviser, Inter-Governmental Relations.
6. Balaraba Aliyu-Inuwa is the immediate past Commissioner of Works, the first woman in Kaduna State to be appointed to that role. She has served as Special Adviser and subsequently Commissioner for Rural & Community Development.
7. Samuel Peter Aruwan is the Senior Special Assistant (Media & Publicity) and spokesperson for the state government. He was campaign spokesman in 2015 and 2019. He has been an active member of the Kaduna State Security Council since May 2015.
8. Fausat Adebola Ibikunle is the General Manager of the Kaduna State Urban Planning & Development Authority (KASUPDA). She joined the Kaduna State Government in 2016.
9. Mohammed Bashir Saidu served as Commissioner for Local Government before being appointed as Chief of Staff to the Governor. He was appointed Commissioner of Finance towards the end of the first-term.
10. Hafsat Mohammed Baba is the immediate past Commissioner of Women Affairs & Social Development.
11. Aisha Dikko is Special Adviser, Legal Matters, the role in which she served in the first-term. She will be the third woman to be appointed as Commissioner of Justice by Malam Nasir El-Rufai.