Pro-Impact Initiative, a civil society organisation, has described alleged recruitment of 10,000 staff in the FCT administration and award of contracts that run into billions of naira without due approval from the Presidency by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Mr Olusade Adesola, as ‘frivolous’ and a ‘satanic lie’, meant to generate undue tension in the Territory and deceive the general public.
The CSO said it was an attempt to cast dust on the general public, saying that it would be impossible for an individual to bolster the workforce of the FCTA from 30,000 to 40,000 within three years without creating ripples in the system.
Describing the allegation made on online reports, the Coordinator, Pro-Impact Initiative, Dr Osamudiamen Isokpehi, said Mr Adesola has no such powers to award contract up to N100 million, noting that the lie was deliberately contrived to sow seeds of discord between the newly minister Mr Nyesom Wike and the Permanent Secretary.
According to him the hatchet job was sponsored by mischief-makers with intent to distract Mr Wike, who, from day one, has left no one in doubt over his noble intentions to rid the city of Illegalities and ensure massive infrastructural development.
Dr Isokpehi recalled that the same disgruntled elements had made similar allegations against Adesola’s predecessor Mr Christian Ohaa, adding that it was therefore surprising that the mischief-makers now claimed the incumbent permanent secretary had plotted the removal of Mr Ohaa.
‘These same elements who never gave Sir Christian Ohaa no peace during his days as permanent secretary as they dragged him to Berekete Radio and continued to write a series of petitions against him when the former minister, Muhammed Musa Bello was reappointed in 2019.
”They also wrongly accused Sir Ohaa of employing only his kinsmen from Enugu state, which was easily proven to be false. They also demanded his removal and called for him to be probed. Now they are on another mission to do what they know how to best.
”The record shows that the staff strength was initially 32,703 as at December 2020 rose to 32,831 in June, 2021 and steadily came down with efficiency to 32,201 by August this year” , he said adding that the FCTA administration is too complex for anyone to employ mainly people from his village, state, region or religious group as alleged by the ”crafters of fallacies”.
On the alleged award of multibillion-naira contract, Dr Isokpehi dismissed the lie therein saying it is a known fact that contracts from N100 million and above are presented via Memos to the Federal Executive Council for approval by the minister. ”There is obviously no way a permanent secretary would award such contract(s).”
