As Stakeholders accuse Perm Sec of embarking on massive Capital Projects against Presidential Directives
- NASS Probes Perm Sec Injection of 10,000 staff into the system
- Documentation of new recruits move to HR Training Centre to avoid the Minister knowing
By Babalola Tajudeen
Civil Society Organizations, Analysts and Stakeholders have painstakingly investigated the activities of the Permanent Secretary of FCT Administration, Dr. Olusade Adesola since he assumed the bureacratic leadership of FCTA in June 2020, following his mischievous and clandestine move that saw the exit of a thoroughbred and astute Administrator, Sir Christian Ohaa, whom many Staff of FCTA described as the best Permanent Secretary so far and uncovered myriad corruption and abuse of office in an alarmingly disturbing proportion that has never been committed by any Permanent Secretary since the inception of FCT.
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Many have expressed serious concerns why the Perm Sec has not been sacked and arrested with immediate effect by the ICPC and EFCC despite the massive corruption and humongous abuse of office by Dr Olusade Adesola.
Explaining the reason why the Permanent Secretary has not been sacked, inspite of being the longest serving Permanent Secretary ever, a source told our Correspondent that there are two reasons why Mr. Olusade Adesola has not been sacked. ‘The first reason is that he has the strong backing of the Head of Service of the Federation. ‘Secondly, he has used his power to allocate land in Guzape, Apo, Asokoro Extension and other highbrow places to the Head of Service, those related to the Head of Service and all the Permanent Secretaries.’
Our Correspondent gathered that upon assumption of office in June 2020, the Permanent Secretary met a work force of 30,000 and within 3 years have unilaterally employed about 10,000 persons into the system. Our source equally added that majority of the employees include: Jehovah Witneseses Members, where the Permanent Secretary worship and those from his village. Our source also gathered that the former retired Director of Human Resource, Professor Muhammad Bashir was said to have engaged the Permanent Secretary in a heated argument over the meagre slot always allocated to his office. But the Permanent Secretary told him blatantly that he has several people from his Congregation and Village to settle. Our source equally revealed that after the hot exchange of words between the Permanent Secretary and the Former Director, the Permanent Secretary since then, started working with one Alhaji Shafiu. Our source further gathered that out of the 10,000 people the Permanent Secretary secretly injected into the system, he only obtained waiver for 500 persons from Federal Character Commission. The New Minister must investigate this grievous allocation against Nigerians and report the Permanent Secretary to EFCC and ICPC to be handcuffed immediately.
Another major atrocity of the Permanent Secretary is land racketeering. Our source also uncovered massive unprecedented land rackeering by the Permanent Secretary that has never been done by any public officer since the nation’s capital came into existence. The source equally found out that towards the tail end of the immediate past Minister of FCT, Muhammad Musa Bello, several allocations were made. But long after the departure of the Former Minister, the Permanent Secretary bulldozed the Director of Land Administration to allocate over 300 allocations in choice places for the Head of Service of the Federation, friends of the Head of Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries’ Colleagues, Business Associates, Family Members, Traditional Rulers from his Village and his Village people. It was alleged that the Permanent Secretary was in the habit of telling people that the Former Minister was still backdating allocations. We therefore call on the New Minister of FCT, His Excellency Wike Nyesom to immediately set up an impartial committee to thoroughly investigate this weighty allegation and cancel such allocations.
Equally shocking and against the long established tradition of the FCT Administration is the usurpation of the power of the Director of Treasury by the Permanent Secretary. The seamless tradition over the years has been that one’s approvals are granted by approving authorities and necessary procurement procedures are followed, the Director of Treasury and Director of Central Processing Office(CPO) who are statutorily Commissioners of Finance will immediately send such payments to CBN for payment. But upon the assumption of the Permanent Secretary, he immediately altered this seamless 30 years tradition and insisted that all files, even those approved by the Ministers must get clearance from him before going to CBN. A senior management staff confided in our Correspondent that this bureaucratic procedure was instituted by the Perm Sec to ensure that only those files that concern him are paid as well as to ensure that he keeps tap on Contractors to ensure they settle him on time. Our source also leant that this it is his redtapism that have limited the pace of development of the city and made the city dirty. A situation the New Minister met upon assumption. The Minister should follow the courageous move of Former Minister of FCT, Bala Muhammad who never allow his approvals to go through the Permanent Secretary, but sent them straight to Director of Treasury for payment. The Minister should inquire from the Director of Treasury and Director Central Processing Office, if these allegations are true or not.
Another atrocity being perpetrated by the Permanent Secretary is the current brewing crisis in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) over who takes over as the Director of Human Resource Management. Following the retirement of the former Director of Human Resource Department, Muhammad Bashir, there have been vacuum in that office. Our finding revealed that the Permanent Secretary has brought one Mr. Akin Ogunnaran who is a Deputy Director from the same village where the Permanent Secretary hail from to take over as the Head of Human Resource Department. Stakeholders have expressed serious concern over this clandestine move by the Permanent Secretary to install a far junior Director, ahead of 50 senior Directors of Administration. Our Correspondent further gathered that the Permanent Secretary had planned to place Mr. Akin on acting capacity pending while paving way for him to sit for promotion exam to Director and eventually confirm him as a substantive Director. Our Source also found out that since most of the senior Directors have barely one year to retire, the Perm Sec has been scheming to compulsorily retire them. An animus person told our reporter that the Perm Sec is used to that, sighting examples of other departments like Information were the he single handedly promoted a junior Deputy
Director to a Director above other Senior Deputy Directors even before going for promotion exams, simply because the said D.D is from his place, while in Education Secretariat Project Division, the PS removed the Director heading the division and brought in his town person to help him corner the contract of operation 100 schools in 100 days which the sum of 10b was allocated for it. We therefore call on the Minister to wade into this brewing crisis before the Permanent Secretary spoils his good works and derail the good plans he has for Residents of FCT.
The Permanent Secretary is also alleged to have embarked on massive capital projects just barely few days to the inauguration of Ministers. Our Correspondent gathered that this move was against Presidential directives that no Permanent Secretary should carry out any capital projects until the appointment of substantive Ministers. A case in point was the signing of 5bn agreement and flagged of Rehabilitation of Abuja Rail Mass Transit, few barely 3 days to the inauguration of Ministers. Another flagrant abuse of power is the signing of park and pay policy with contractors few days to the appointment of Ministers. Also deserving to be mentioned is the fire brigade approach by the Permanent Secretary that saw the signing into agreement of harmonized revenue formular with the 6 Area Council Chairmen of the FCT. Thereby, usurping the power of the Minister, even as a mere civil servant on level 18. The Minister is requested to call the 6 Area Councils Chairmen and verify this allegation.
Hijacking of FCT Christian Pilgrim slot to friends, family members and friends of his wife who work with National Hospital Abuja.
Converting 6 official vehicles for personal use.
Initiating national shopping where he asked Directors to route their procurement through him, which enabled him to corner 90 percent of the files to himself and friends without executing the contracts but the money will be paid to them, this has seriously affected the day-to-day running of offices activities. Director Procurement, Mr. Idris is said to have been having a serious issue with the Permanent Secretary over the Permanent Secretary’s untamed impunity and rascality in cornering about 95 percent of the procurement to himself.
Furthermore, that the PS since assumption in 2020, has been under minding administrative procedures to extent that the former Minister, Musa Bello will minute contract files to him but he will never act on the files until the contractors come to negotiate with him and if the Minister get to know about it, he will quickly act on it and backdated the action on the file to clear himself. However, it was gathered that one Mr. Ben who happened to be his PA is mostly used for his shoddy deals.
Our findings also revealed that the Permanent Secretary brought Ghanaians to supervise a multi-million-naira Education Secretariats Project which he cornered and awarded to himself.
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Further findings revealed that about 98 percent of the staff of the Administration are angry with the Permanent Secretary over his stoppage of their overtime allowance and other welfare package due to them. One Staff is alleged to have said that a lot of staff in the Administration has his dossier, which will be sent to EFCC and ICPC when he leaves office. Our Correspondent also gathered that the Permanent Secretary always insist that Contractors pay him in dollars. The Permanent Secretary is also alleged to have collected several dollars from FCT Christian Welfare Board within the past 3 years. The Permanent Secretary is also alleged to have over 10 cars parked in his houses in Guzape, Anchor Estate-Lugbe, Lagos, Ibadan, USA, UK, Canada and 3 other countries.
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