The House of Representatives yesterday revoked the the extension of service granted former permanent Secretary of the ministry of education, Mrs. Jamila Shu’ara by president Muhammadu Buhari.
Handing down the order when the Head of Service of the Federation (HOSF), Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita appeared before its Committee on Basic Education and Services over the extension, the House who declared that the President under the 1999 Constitution as amended, has no such power asked Shu’ara to quit the office with immediate effect.
Chairman of the committee, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, also directed the HOSF to recover all emoluments paid to the perm-sec for the period of the extension and ordered her to vacate office immediately,insisting that “her retirement date remains February 20th, 2016.
According to the resolution, “the President has no power under section 171(2)(d) of the 1999 Constitution or any other existing law to extend or elongate the tenure of Permanent Secretary whose tenure has expired be refluxion of time or age whichever comes first.
“The Head of Service should invoke the relevant rules to recover all the emoluments paid to Mrs Jamila Shuara for the period of the extension.
“That the Government should ensure that Civil service rules and procedures be strictly followed in future”, the lawmakers said.
It continued: “that the retirement date of Dr Mrs Jamila Shuara remains 20th Feb.2016.
“Dr Mrs jamila Shuara should vacate office immediately as her retirement date remains 20th Feb.2016 and;
“That the Head of Service should ensure compliance to this subject matter,and report back to the House in four weeks time”.
Earlier, Oyo-Ita in her written defense, informed the Committee that Mr President had the power to appoint, disengage any Civil servant or grant such an extension adding that she was still waiting for a clearance from the Presidency on the memo she sent there on the matter.
The HOSF also stated that she had called for the record of service of Dr Shu’ara from the Civil service Commission but was yet to get a response