The Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, has sworn in 23 commissioners and three new permanent secretaries into his expanded cabinet.
The governor had last month dissolved his former cabinet which consisted of 17 commissioners, nine of whom he has reappointed into the new cabinet.
In his address at the ceremony on Thursday held at Government House, Jos, Mr. Lalong charged the new team to bring new ideas into his administration to enable him deliver on his mandate.
“You must think outside the box to deliver on the mandate in your new assignment,” he said.
The governor warned the commissioners to embrace financial discipline and respect for the rule of law.
He said his dissolution of his former cabinet was not an indictment of the former commissioners, but to create a political balance in the state.
Governor Lalong said the nine he reappointed were the best among the former commissioners.
Among the 23 commissioners who took the oath of office on Thursday were four women.
The State House of Assembly on Tuesday confirmed all the 23 nominees presented by the governor for the appointments, with the youngest of the new commissioners being 41 years old.
Among the new commissioners was Yakubu Datti, the immediate past General Manager (Information) at the Federal Airport of Nigeria, who was named Commissioner for Information. Mr. Datti had held the same portfolio under the preceding administration of Jonah Jang of the Peoples Democratic Party.
None of the three senators from the state attended the ceremony, although the only All Progressives Congress senator, Joshua Dariye (Plateau South) sent his apology to the governor.
The immediate past deputy governor of the state, Ignatius Longjan, and the widow of a former deputy governor, Lydia Botmang, were present at the ceremony.
