Article 155. Principal Secretaries
Official Constitutional Text
155. (1) There is established the office of Principal Secretary, which is an office in the public service.
(2) Each State department shall be under the administration of a Principal Secretary.
(3) The President shall—
(a) nominate a person for appointment as Principal Secretary from among persons recommended by the Public Service Commission; and
(b) with the approval of the National Assembly, appoint Principal Secretaries.
(4) The President may re-assign a Principal Secretary.
(5) A Principal Secretary may resign from office by giving notice, in writing, to the President.
Plain English Explanation
This is a simplified summary to explain this article in clear language. It is not the legal text of the Constitution.
Article 155 creates the job of a Principal Secretary, who acts as the chief administrator and accounting officer for a specific government department. Every single State department must be managed by its own Principal Secretary. To hire one, the independent Public Service Commission must first interview candidates and recommend a list of names to the President. The President then picks a nominee from that list, but the National Assembly must vet and officially approve them before they can take office. Finally, the President has the power to reshuffle Principal Secretaries to different departments at any time, and any Principal Secretary can choose to leave their job by handing a written resignation to the President.