The Zamfara State Government has rejected the appointment of Maryam Ismaila as a permanent secretary by President Bola Tinubu, citing her non-indigene status.
According to Sahara Reporters on Sunday, sources close to the matter have revealed that the real reason for her rejection is her father's religious affiliation as a Christian cleric.
According to sources, Maryam Ismaila's father was a pastor in the ECWA church in Tsafe, Zamfara State, and this has been deemed unacceptable by the state government.
According to the sources, despite her being a Hausa and a medical doctor who has converted to Islam after marrying a Yoruba Muslim, her father's Christian faith has become a stumbling block for her appointment.
The government's claim that she is not an indigene of the state has been disputed by sources who maintain that she hails from Tsafe Local Government Area.
A source said, "Tinubu's appointment of Maryam from Zamfara as Permanent Secretary was rejected by the state government because her father was a pastor. Simple!"
In addition to that, another said, "She is Hausa and a medical doctor. She married a Yoruba man and later converted to Islam. Their families are well known in Tsafe Town."
President Tinubu had appointed eight new federal permanent secretaries, including Ismaila, to fill existing vacancies in the civil service.
However, the Zamfara State Government had refused to accept her appointment, citing concerns about her indigene status and the need to ensure representation for the people of Zamfara State.
The Zamfara State Government had said, "For all purposes and intendment, the candidate is never an indigene of Zamfara State and would not legally claim or enjoy representation for the sake of the good people of Zamfara State.
"Furthermore, no purported documentation in that aspect will legally qualify her to be a bonafide indigene of Zamfara State."