President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday removed Mr. Danladi Kifasi as the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and replaced him with 51 years old Mrs Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, current Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology.
This development is seen as an effort to ensure the entrenchment of the federal character principle as enshrined in the Nigeria’s Constitution. Taraba-born Kifasi is from the same North-East zone as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal who hails from Adamawa State.
Mr Kifasi was due to retire on January, 1, 2016 when he will clock 60. He had served as Permanent Secretary in several ministries including Federal Ministry of Finance and Petroleum.
Mrs. Oyo-Ita, the new Head of Service is a chartered accountant from Cross River State. She was educated at the Queens College Yaba, graduated at the University of Lagos in 1984 with B.Sc Accounting and holds a Master’s degree from the Nasarawa State UniversityShe was Director, Finance and Accounts at the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). Before her appointment as the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in April 2014, Oyo-Ita was Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.
