The Chairman of the Committee on the Recruitment of Health Workers in Katsina State, who also serves as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government Inspectorate, Alhaji Lawal Rufa’i Safana, has refuted the circulating allegations regarding the interview conducted in Funtua, describing them as baseless and entirely misrepresentative of what transpired.
He stated that the individual making the allegations was evidently not present at the venue, as all the measures he claimed “ought to have been taken” were, in fact, the very steps the committee had already implemented. Hon. Safana explained that he personally addressed the applicants during the interview, offering detailed clarification and ensuring that no candidate was treated unfairly, contrary to the narrative being circulated.
He emphasized that, during his address, he clearly instructed applicants that anyone whose professional licence had expired should present their Remita payment or proof of renewal at the point of interview, so that the committee could verify and process their documents without denying them the opportunity to participate. According to him, this directive was part of the committee’s deliberate effort to mitigate the challenges caused by the temporary national disruption of the CHPRBN licence renewal portal.
He further reiterated that:
No applicant was disqualified solely because the licensing portal was down.
Evidence of prior registration, expired licences, and Remita payments were accepted as valid documentation.
Hon. Safana added that the state government fully recognizes the sacrifices of long-serving volunteers, many of whom have worked for years under difficult conditions and with little remuneration. The recruitment exercise, he noted, was designed to acknowledge and reward their long-standing service not to penalize them.
He maintained that any contrary narrative is either a product of ignorance or a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.
The Committee Chairman reassured citizens that the recruitment process will continue transparently, objectively, and with fairness to all deserving applicants.
