The rejection of the appointment of Maryam Ismaila as a Federal Permanent Secretary by the Zamfara state government may not be unconnected with her father’s religious background as a Christian, according to SaharaReporters.
Ismaila is one of the eight permanent secretaries appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday to fill existing and impending vacancies of some states and geo-political zones in the civil service.
Their appointments were announced on Friday, in a statement ,by Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.
Not long after the announcement, the state government rejected her appointment saying she is not an indigene of the state.
The state’s position was contained in a letter to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, by Zamfara State’s Head of Service, Ahmad Liman, expressing concerns about Ismaila’s selection.
According to the state government, her appointment has stirred up unease in the state, urging President Tinubu to reconsider the matter.
The state government insist that allowing Ismaila’s appointment to stand will further fuel the suggestion that the state has been marginalised at the federal level in terms of appointment.
However, the decision to reject Ismail’s appointment may not be unconnected with her father being a pastor while he was alive.
Ismail’s parents, source told the newspaper, hailed from Tsafe Local Government Area of the state, where her father was a pastor in ECWA church, Tsafe while he was alive.
ECWA is the Evangelical Church Winning All, previously known as the Evangelical Church of West Africa.
One source informed the newspaper that “Tinubu’s appointment of Maryam from Zamfara as permanent secretary was rejected by the state government because her father was a pastor. Simple!” one of the sources said.
“She is Hausa and a medical doctor. She married a Yoruba Muslim and later converted to Islam. Their families are well known in Tsafe town,” another source said.
