Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State on Thursday reshuffled the State Executive Council with the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, dropped on health grounds.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Sanusi Dawakin-Tofa, on Thursday Yusuf said the rejig was in line with his administration’s desire to deliver on its promises to the people of the state.

The shake-up also saw the governor drop his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Shehu Sagag, whose office was scrapped.

He said the first major reshuffle of his cabinet takes immediate effect.

According to Yusuf, there is a need to ensure optimum performance that will drive more dividends of democracy to the people of Kano state.

Yusuf also removed some cabinet members and reassigned others to enhance administrative performance and retool.

Those who retained their positions were Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Haruna Isa Dederi, Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Danjuma Mahmoud and Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran.

Also retained were the Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Hon. Abduljabbar Umar, Commissioner for Budget and Planning Hon. Musa Shannon and Commissioner for Works and Housing Alhaji Marwan Ahmad.

Those who retained the posts also included the Commissioner for Solid and Mineral Resources, Sefiyanu Hamza, Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Shiekh Ahmad Auwal and Commissioner for Youth and Sports Hon. Mustapha Kwankwaso.

Others are Commissioner for Investment and Commerce, Adamu Kibiya, and that of Internal Security and Special Services, retired Maj.-Gen. Mohammad Idris.

According to the statement, those reassigned were the Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdulssalam, who was moved from the Ministry of Local Government to Higher Education and Hon. Mohammad Usman who was moved from Science and Technology to the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

Similarly, Dr Yusuf Kofar Mata was from Higher Education at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Others reassigned included Amina Abdullahi who was moved from Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation to the Ministry for Women, Children and Disabled and Hon. Nasiru Sule Garo, from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to the Ministry of Special Duties.

Also, the Commissioner for Project Monitoring and Evaluation Hon. Ibrahim Namadi was moved to the Ministry of Transport, while Hon. Umar Haruna Doguwa of the Ministry of Education was reassigned to the Ministry of Water Resources.

Similarly, Hon. Ali Haruna Makoda was moved from Water Resources to the Ministry of Education while Hon. Aisha Lawal Saji was from the Ministry of Women, Children and Disabled to Tourism and Culture.

Similarly, Hon. Muhammad Diggol was moved from the Ministry of Transport to the Ministry of Project Monitoring and Evaluation.

Yusuf dropped five members of his cabinet including Ibrahim Jibril Fagge, of the Finance Ministry, Ladidi Ibrahim Garko of the Culture and Tourism; and Baba Dantiye of Information and Internal Affairs.

Also dropped were Shehu Yammedi of Special Duties and Abbas Sani Abbas of Rural and Community Development.

The governor directed the former Chief of Staff and the five commissioners who were dropped to report to his office for possible reassignment.