*  Ekanem 
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Mrs Winifred Ekanem as the acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOS) with immediate effect.
This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Bolaji Adebiyi, Director of Press in the office of the Secretary to Government of the Federal on Wednesday in Abuja.
The statement said her appointment was a testimony of Buhari’s implicit confidence and trust in her ability to discharge the responsibility of the office of the HOS.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ekanem, until her appointment, was the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology.
She also served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.
She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
Born in April 1964, Ekanem was educated at the Queens College Yaba, graduated at the University of Lagos in 1984 with BSc Accounting and holds a Masters’ degree from the Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
Ekanem, who replaces Mr Danladi Kifasi, hails from Odukpani local government area of Cross River.
Buhari had earlier approved the pre-retirement leave of Kifasi, who was due to retire from the service in January 2016 with effect from Oct. 20.
According to a statement from the Director of Communications in the HOS office, Alhaji Haruna Imrana, the approval was signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal. (NAN)
EEM/MST/MST