Perm Sec Ernest Umakhihe retires, may join Edo guber race

A luminous epoch in the service of Nigeria has come to a terminus with the retirement of Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, PhD, OON from the Federal Civil Service.

Umakhihe is retiring as permanent secretary after spending thirty-five productive years that saw him serve in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Director of Finance and Accounts in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Sports before his elevation to permanent secretary.

In the position of permanent secretary, he was deployed in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Ministry of Works and Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has arranged a celebratory event for Umakhihe for providing good leadership and serving out his years in service. He was born on April 5, 1964 (59 years, nine months).

The event holds on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at the iconic and expansive International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja.

THE CONCLAVE reports that consequent upon his retirement, Umakhihe may make a foray into partisan politics in his home state of Edo.

But the nature of his participation in Edo politics at a time processes for the 2024 governorship election have begun may crystallise in the next ten days, closely on the heels of the retirement shindig at the ICC in Abuja.

There are, however, yet-to-be-confirmed feelers that the retired permanent secretary may join the loaded field of aspirants jostling for the guber ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He is from Otuo in Edo North Senatorial Zone.