John Shiklam in Kaduna
Amid rising cases of banditry, kidnapping and armed attacks along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway, Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir e-Rufai yesterday signed an executive order creating the Ministry of Internal Security & Home Affairs.
Besides the ministry of internal security, the governor also established two other ministries namely; the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Technology and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, thus making three new ministries he created.
The decisions were disclosed in a statement his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Samuel Aruwan issued yesterday, announcing that the governor had signed an executive order creating three new ministries while abolishing three others.
With the rising cases of banditry and kidnapping across the state, the statement said the ministry of internal security and home affairs “has the mandate to coordinate internal security matters and liaison with security agencies in the state.
“It is expected to enhance the state government’s capacity to address security challenges. It will also supervise the activities of parastatals and agencies performing home affairs functions.”
The statement added that the ministry of business, innovation and technology will coordinate the development of skills, business, trade and manufacturing in the state…
It also said the ministry of housing & urban development “has the mandate to ensure the construction and maintenance of public buildings and to promote the expansion of the housing stock in the state.
“It will also be in charge of ensuring the enforcement of development control regulations and the implementation of urban planning and country planning policies and urban renewal programmes in the state.
Specifically, the statement disclosed that the restructuring “does not increase the number of ministries that were pruned to 14 when the el-Rufai assumed office in 2015.”
The statement noted that the three ministries abolished comprised Commerce, Industry & Tourism, Rural & Community Development and Water Resources.
The statement said in a major streamlining of the state’s governance structure, El-Rufai “has signed an Executive Order to create and restructure ministries in Kaduna State.”
“The order abolishes the Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Tourism, the Ministry of Rural & Community Development and the Ministry of Water Resources. It amends the mandates of the ministries responsible for local government, women and social development, works and sports.
The statement added that the mandates of some ministries like Sports Development and education, among others, have either been amended or amended.
It stated further that the list of commissioners nominated “to lead these ministries will be forwarded to the Kaduna State House of Assembly as soon as it reconvenes.”
