The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos
State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has faulted the appointment of Mr. Hakeem
Muri-Okunola as the new Head of Service in the state, saying the action
sacrificed career progression and was ‘politics taken too far.’
Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode had, on Monday, sworn in Muri-Okunola as the 21st HoS
in the state, in place of Mrs. Folashade Adesoye who retired in December
2018.
At 46 years old, Muri-Okunola is said to be the youngest ever HoS in the history of Lagos State.
Agbaje,
in a statement by his campaign organisation’s Directorate of Media and
Publicity, on Thursday, described the appointment as “insensitive,
unjust and disruptive of the civil service hierarchy.”
He said,
“Indications are that, to pave way for the assisted meteoric rise of the
new HoS, the Lagos State Government had, between January and November
2018, forcefully retired no fewer than 21 permanent secretaries
considered as superiors and more experienced to the new man.
“There is a sense of shock and injustice in all this. It is bound to create bad blood and injustice within the system.
“These
are seasoned personnel capable of fitting perfectly and effectively in
that office. But in this era of impunity, they have been offloaded
prematurely.”
The PDP candidate dismissed the new HoS as “part of
the oligarchy controlling and monopolising all the levers of power in
the state,” citing his position as the Personal Assistant to former
Governor Bola Tinubu, which, according to Agbaje, imbued Muri-Okunola
with “very abnormal privileges.”
“Muri-Okunola lacks broad-based
exposure. Whoever becomes HoS is usually a civil servant with widespread
exposure, as he must be abreast of all issues related to the
bureaucracy and governance.
“But all these rules and traditions have been bent for this appointment,” Agbaje added.
He
stated that the development portends “grave danger” to the state’s
bureaucracy, established on the foundations of merit-nurtured
progression through the career ladder.
He said, “It is befuddling
to imagine how officers, who are 15 years older than the new HoS, will
take orders and directives from him.
“From all indications, this
might be too far-fetched and difficult and it has a way of impacting
negatively on governance, taking into cognizance that the civil service
is the engine room of not just government but of the society also.”
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