Perm sec seeks professionalisation of women ministry

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Habiba Muda Lawal has called on the Head of Service of the Federation to professionalize the ministry.

She made the call when the Head of Service, Bukar Abba Aji led a delegation of more than 12 federal permanent secretaries on a peer review exercise to the ministry in Abuja.

Lawal said people often think that the ministry deals only with women and forget another of its core mandate which is Social development.

She said social development is a professional cadre within the federal civil service and four departments of the ministry, women affairs, child, social welfare and rehabilitation are designated professional departments yet the ministry is not classified as a professional ministry.

Lawal said because of this administrative officers are posted to these professional departments impeding career progression of many professional officers in the sector.

The permanent secretary said 51 percent of the ministry’s budget in 2013 was released to it and 100 percent of it was utilized adding that in the year 2013, about 9,530 women received vocational training, another 9,035 were supported materially and financially and the ministry made advocacy visits to 11 states of the federation among others.

Earlier, Bukkar Goni Aji said on coming to office he discovered that over the years, the office of the Head of service has been unnecessarily over loaded with what should be done by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

He said as a result the body of permanent secretaries has taken it upon itself to review the tasks given to each MDAs.