Secretary General & Head of Civil service
By Arfang M.S. Camara
President Barrow, yesterday appointment Mr. Nuha Touray as Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service, office of the President.
Touray’s appointment has been as much criticized as those equally been ‘recycled’ from the former regime.
Meanwhile, Lamin Jawara, Permanent Secretary at the Personal Management Office (PMO), responding to criticisms, has said that the new Secretary General and Head of Civil Service, Mr. Nuha Touray has been an active serving member of the public service. PS Jawara made this clarification to Kerr Fatou today after comments by the GMC Leader Mai Ahmad Fatty who declared Barrow’s appointment of Nuha Touray as unconstitutional”.
Meanwhile, Section 168 (1) of the Constitution prescribes the mode of appointment of the Head of the Civil Service. It states that the person must be a serving member of the public service, and not outside the public service.
“Everything is in order as far as Mr. Nuha Touray’s appointment to the position of Secretary General and Head of Civil Service is concerned, PS Jawara affirmed. Mr. Touray was reinstated into the service in 2017 along with many other civil servants that were dismissed earlier,” said PS Jawara; adding, his reinstatement also coincided with his appointment at the ECOWAS commission but he was immediately granted permission to go on secondment.
Consequently, Mr. Touray worked at the ECOWAS commission until December 2019 and later asked for leave of absence to stay away to attend to some personnel issues before returning to work.
According to the PS Jawara , his leave expired but they have been working on his redeployment until his appointment as SG.
Finally , he reiterated that they are aware of section 168 (1) of the constitution and stated strongly that Mr. Nuha Touray’s appointment is constitutional.